The 74th annual ABC Pro Rodeo kicks off this week here in Lubbock. Each and every year in its existence the rodeo has benefited the local Boys and Girls Club.
The rodeo was formed to support the local Boys and Girls Club 74 years ago. We’ve been around for 76 years. They’ve almost been around as long as we have just solely to support the boys and girls club.
Boys & Girls Club Board President Landon Willess says the lubbock boys and girls club was founded in 1940 to support a safe environment for kids to come after school to play, learn and interact. Landon actually grew up attending the club all because of basketball.
Landon started out coming to the club when he was nine years old. For him, basketball was huge in my life and very important. he came to the club the latter part of elementary school and junior high just to come up to the club to play basketball with my friends. Through the process he ended up meeting a lot of great mentors that were able to impact me. People he actually still keeps in touch with.
Each year the boys and girls club chooses a youth of the year. This year’s winner is high school senior Phoebe Green. She says the boys and girls club was a home away from home for her.
Phoebe says growing up in a single parent household you know your mom can’t really just watch you like you would like so that’s kind of the refuge that you go to that’s your place you get to make friends you get to meet people so that was my other home away from home
Children who attend the local boys and girls clubs find out that they’re learning and growing outside of the classroom. Phoebe says that’s one thing that will help her for the rest of her life.
The Boys and Girls Club is kind of that base of a child’s future, Green notes. You start off at a young age that’s when your mind is really developing that’s when you find your own identity. You find who you are as a person you get to realize the things you like and you don’t like just having these different activities where it helps you build on leadership friendship and you get to make life-long friends you get to say that you did something.