Boys & Girls Clubs of Springfield / The Great Elixir Mixer

Clint Girlie visits with Amber Alcorn and Rachael Salveter from the Boys and Girls Clubs of Springfield to discuss their upcoming fundraiser The Great Elixir Mixer. It's a craft cocktail competition featuring local bars and eateries judged by the attendees. They also cover the overall mission of the B&G Clubs in Springfield and the vision for their soon to be built teen center. 

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Well, hello and welcome to ashow that we call iHeart the Ozarks.
This is a half hour long showthat airs across all five of our iHeart
Radio stations here in Springfield. Myname is Clint Gurley, Vice President of
Programming. I hear at iHeart Radio. Fun fact that sounds much more important
than it actually is. So ifyou hear it and you're like, oh,
there's some stuffy guy, I don'tthink so. We do a lot

(00:22):
of fun stuff, and this showis certainly one of them because this allows
us the opportunity, on a weekin and week out basis, to kind
of drill down into an organization.Maybe it's a nonprofit, maybe it's just
a collection of people who are doinga lot of good for our community.
And today's no different. In fact, today I'm excited because it's been decades
since I have had any kind ofexperience with the Boys and Girls Clubs.

(00:46):
We'll get into that because I'm excitedto relive some glory days for me,
but I do want to welcome infrom the Boys and Girls Clubs of Springfield,
Amber Alcorn. You're the director ofStrategic Communications. Yes, Hi,
Do you have any other directors oflike unstrategic or vague communications, any other
secret communications. Maybe we are onlystrategic at Boys and Girls Clubs. Yeah,

(01:06):
very smart And Rachel Salveter, sheis the director of development. What
does that entail because that's a veryvague title. It is very vague.
Turns out fundraising is also very vague. Yeah, we can get funds from
a lot of places, but youhave to dig really deep to find them
and work really hard. Yeah,we live I think in an area that
and people who've lived here, Ithink long enough know that we are small

(01:30):
but saturated with nonprofits looking for funding. And certainly one of the questions we
always ask when we do talk tononprofits, Boys and Girls Clubs is a
nonprofit? Right, correct? Andeven though it's a it's a big national
thing, it's a it's local tous. You guys are all obviously local
to hear kind of like us atiHeart you know, it's a big old
brand, But you know, Ilive in Republic. I mean, who's

(01:51):
also here? She lives in thewest side of Springfield, So I would
imagine we have a similar kind ofpartnership like that. Welcome to both of
you. Really exciting there is ina event coming up one that we here
at iHeart are getting really excited aboutbecause you've invited us to be a part
of it this year, So thankyou for that. Amber. Will you
tell everybody about the Great Elixir Mixer. Yeah, The Great Elixir Mixer is

(02:12):
a craft cocktail competition where some ofthe best local bars and restaurants come together
and compete for awards for their bestmixed drinks. And it is a fundraiser
for Boys and Girls Clubs of Springfield. We bring in some great sponsors,
we have some great food. Therewill be live music by the Mixtapes and

(02:34):
a live DJ, and it's areally good time just to get together and
enjoy some good food and drinks andraise some money for the club. It
sounds like such a fun time.I think I've talked on the air a
couple times about this event, likehey, we're giving away tickets to it,
but also like, here's if thissounds at all, and this is
the way that I've been putting into people, Like if the idea of
going out for craft cocktails and yougetting to be the judge of them,

(02:58):
you know, it sounds like it'sright up your then this is the event
for you. Am I wrong describingit that way? No, that is
exactly right. So you get tocome to the event and sample all of
the cocktails that the bars and restaurantsbring and you get to vote for your
favorite. That's pretty awesome. Canyou leak any like who's going to be
there? Info? Like what bars? What restaurants? Yet? Are we
still working on all that? AndI don't want to give anything away?

(03:21):
Yeah, so we are still takingsome bars and restaurants in, but a
few that we already have a fourteenmil market that recently opened, Nan and
enixa Archie's, Bob and Ike's,Bricktown and Retro Metro Popos, some of
the Springfield Bruco companies, just toname a few. Yeah, you guys

(03:43):
are well on your way. Thenthat sounds awesome. When is the event?
Where is it? How can peopleget tickets? It is Friday,
June seventh, from seven to tenpm at the Old Glass Place downtown and
they can get tickets by visiting theBoys and Girls Club's website BEG Clubs Springfield
dot org. Go to our eventspage and there's a link to buy tickets.
Awesome. We're going to talk moreabout that later on in the show.
So if you're just catching maybe thelast part of that there, hang

(04:08):
on or just rewind, because somepeople listen to this via the podcast,
you know, and you could findthis episode there in its entirety. If
you're just now get in here,you can go back just a couple of
minutes and here all about the greatelectro Mixer. I know, we are
very excited about it here. Iknow one of my staffers, Hemy who
works on one hundred point five ofthe Wolf, has never been more bummed

(04:28):
out that she's pregnant. She waslike, we're doing what in that She
was really bummed that she's not goingto be able to fully partake in the
evening because it sounds like a blastand not thanks for having us out there.
It should be a ton of funto that in though. There will
also be mocktails. Well, ifyou're pregnant or for some other reason do
not imbibe, there are things foryou to try, yeah, which will

(04:51):
taste like cocktails. That's pretty cools. None of the effects. It's a
huge, like booming industry right nowis the mocktails. I was reading it
thing the other day about how genZ, which all of us are a
part of obviously is very much likeinto mocktails. Like drinking has not become
like a thing they're super into,but the mocktail side of it, they're

(05:11):
really really into. So that's prettycool that you're offering both. I really
like to hear that it is theseventh of June at the Old Glass Place
is a BG not ORG. DidI get it? You got it?
Yeah? I didn't even write itdown long one pro. All right,
let's talk about the Boys and GirlsClubs of Springfield. Since I have lived
here, which is what yours islike over twenty years now, I've been

(05:34):
around the Boys and Girls Clubs ofSpringfield. There was one in on the
on the north side of the division. It was my first experience with it
because when I went to Evangel beforethey kicked me out. You guys can
laugh, it's fine for what what? Okay, I'm curious, guys want
to play a game? Yeah?What do you think it was? Are

(05:56):
we going to do like Two Truthsand Alive? Though? Uh no,
I just I mean it wasn't bad. That's the problem. It's not a
great story. It's very indicative ofmaybe how Evangel was at the time and
who I was as a person atthe time, did you not like go
to enough chapels or something? Oh, I know, I know. Tell
me I went to Bible College.Okay, study evangel Okay. So at

(06:19):
evangel you had to go to threechapels a week, and it was per
semester. It was a certain number. Let's say, let's say it was
thirty three eleven weeks, thirty threechapels. I my three years I was
there, didn't go to any ofthem. But hold on before you judge
me. I didn't want to numberone, number two. They si I

(06:44):
didn't go to a single one becausethey said if you miss one chapel,
you always two hours of community service. And I just thought that's awesome,
what a cool thing. And theBoys and Girls Club was within walking distance,
so I would go down there andvolunteer, or then i'd have like
coaches and stuff for the sports teamsand everything take us to like other places.
So every year they'd be like,all right, you missed, oh
my gosh, thirty three chapels,you owe sixty six hours of community service.

(07:08):
And I'd be like, damn dominoesright there, it's all signed off
on, you know. And apparentlythey passed a rule that said you couldn't
miss more than a couple semesters ina row or be in deficit. They
didn't grandfather me in, so theybooted me. They had to give me
my two degrees, but they bootedme before I could play that last football
season. Nuts because you were notconnecting with Jesus, but you were connecting

(07:30):
with the community. Yeah. Ithink in their view at the time,
that was probably it, or justI wasn't following their rules as specifically as
they wanted them, right, Ithink I was doing a lot of good
volunteering. But that's neither here northere. They're probably going to give me
an honorary doctorate at some point,right, come on, look at the
community figure I turned into. Sorry, Oh, they're fine over there.

(07:56):
I don't know anybody who works thereanymore so. And fun fact, the
guy who kicked me out was theguy who ended up being our realittor when
he sold us our house in Republica while ago. That's not a fun
fact. I shouldn't have said that. I would have said, that's a
fact. It's not fun in anyway. All that to say, Boys
and Girls Club was a great time. I knew folks who have worked there

(08:18):
and worked there for a long timethrough college. When they got out of
college, got married because they metat the Boys and Girls Club. Like,
what a cool thing. But I'mnot sure I fully understand what it
is you all do at the Boysand Girls Clubs of Springfield. So somebody
filled me in, Like, I'msure it's a lot, And this is
a really broad question, especially forsomebody who's only in charge of strategic communication.

(08:39):
But can you widen it out forme? Amber, Yes, absolutely
so. At its core, Boysand Girls Clubs is a safe, positive
place for kids after school. Okay, that is a really broad description,
and we do a lot with that. So when youth come through our doors

(09:00):
Boys and Girls Club, they havethe opportunity to participate in a multitude of
programs, and those programs fall intosix core program areas. So those program
areas are character and leadership. We'rehelping them build skills that they're going to
need for their future sports and recreation. They're getting to participate in baseball,

(09:20):
volleyball, basketball, the arts.We're giving them opportunities to do the visual
arts but also participate in performing artslike theater and music. They are participating
in health and wellness. They're alsobeing supported with their education, workforce readiness,
and getting free mental health services.What kind of mental health services I

(09:41):
was talking with Rachel before the fieldmy wife works in, she's the therapist
for a long time. What kindof mental health services are you guys offering
at these clubs? Yeah? Absolutely, So we have a really strong partnership
with Burl and it's a partnership we'rereally proud of, and our clubs have
communit any support specialists that are presentand work with specific youth and their families

(10:05):
at the clubs. We've also hadpartnerships with independent counselors and counselors at Ozark's
Counseling Center who come in and whilethe youth are at Boys and Girls Club
are having those counseling sessions with them. So a lot of times transportation or
cost can be a barrier for familieswith mental health services. So we're just

(10:26):
trying to partner with people in thecommunity who can help us take those barriers
down and provide those services to thekids who might not get it otherwise.
Sure, I mean, are youguys seeing a pretty big need for that?
I mean, because I remember goingto the Boys and Girls Club as
a kid, just like I playedbasketball leagues there back where I grew up.
But that was it, Like theyhad what's the game's like pool?

(10:48):
But there's stuff in the way,you know what's game that is bumper pool?
Man? Yeah, okay, that'sprobably I remember they had that and
then I played basketball there. Endof list. So I can't imagine back
in the eighties nineties that there wasmental health services available onside. Also imagine
there's probably a pretty big need forthat. Oh yeah, absolutely. You

(11:09):
know a lot of youth nowadays,especially if you talk to kids who have
been around the Boys and Girls Clubfor years and years, they'll describe it
as a home away from home.And so I think in recent years,
especially, you know, the lastcouple decades, trying to put those services
in place that really help kids feelsafe and at home and Boys and Girls

(11:30):
Club is a place where they cangrow as people is really important to us.
Amber Alcorn and Rachel Salved from theBoys and Girls Clubs of Springfield here
talking. This is for both ofyou guys, and it's I think certainly
can be a little bit subjective justbased on your experience. Work does this
area need the Boys and Girls clubs. Oh my gosh, I know,
it's a big one. It's abig one. So Amber just described what

(11:54):
we do, but I think it'simportant to understand who we serve. And
we're talking four to five thous andkids a year who come through our doors,
and we have a significant wait liston top of that, and seventy
five percent of those kids fall underthe category of living in poverty, so
they're coming from, you know,low income families. Most of them from

(12:16):
families where they only have one caretaker, So they're not going home necessarily to
a space where a snack is readyor a meal is prepared. They're going
home alone if they don't have somemore like boys and Girls clubs to come
to. And when they get tothe club, they're receiving all of those
services that she listed, but somany of them that they would not receive
otherwise or might not have access tobecause of funding restrictions. So we're putting

(12:41):
opportunities in the lapse of kids whomight not see those opportunities otherwise. Doncha
that's awesome. I did not knowthose that many kids. How many different
Boys and Girls clubs, like physicallocations are there in town seven? Really?
I thought there was like three.I only smoke. Where are they?
Well, one is the one thatyou used to Yeah, that's where

(13:03):
you guys addmin offices are too right? Yes, okay, because that's like
the only one I knew how toget to when we had a meeting there,
like the last year or something.Yeah, yeah, we have that
one. They're really most of themare located in North Springfield, which is
good. I mean, we allknow the different demographics that makes up this
city. One of the stories thathas always made me mad, but also

(13:26):
appreciate folks who do, like youbuild boys and girls clubs on the north
side of Springfield because that's where theyare needed the most. I remember there
was one of these I can't saythe name event I'm gonna hate on them
pretty hard. But they had thechoice between building their facility it was like
a pregnancy type of place in thearea on the north side where ninety five

(13:48):
percent of their clients were coming from, or way down south in the middle
of like Medical Mile, And theywere like, well, it's got to
be in Medical Mile, And Iwas always like, no, why would
you choose to do that? Theychose fundraising and appearance over help in that
instance, and it's always bugged me. However, it's very cool when I
hear people who have clearly chosen todo the opposite of that, and that

(14:11):
sounds like what Boys and Girls Clubshas done, right. Yeah, I
think the focus is on being inthe highest need areas, and like I
said before, transportation being so oftena big barrier. We want to be
in the communities where kids are beingserved. We provide transportation after school to
the club, but we want tobe in the community so that parents can
come pick them up. I knowthat go ahead with the locations, by

(14:35):
the way, because I know youlooked it up and I just just instead
of moving on, forget it.Yeah. So, so most that we
have three traditional units, and theseare sites that have our fully Boys and
Girls Club sites, So they havethe gym, the game room, a
bunch of program areas bumper pool,bumper pool. Yes, we've upgraded to

(14:56):
air hockey and some other you know, fancy games in the game room.
But then we also have a partnershipwith Springfield Public Schools where we share space
inside some of the schools. Sothose include Sherwood Elementary, which actually is
on the southwest side of town,the Fremont Elementary, the O'Reilly unit is

(15:18):
in Williams Elementary School, and thenwe also currently have a unit at McGregor.
Okay, very cool. I usedto run the after school program for
SPARK at McGregor back when I wasin college, and that was a fun
time. It also helped a blockaway from my house and I just got
to walk there every day, sothat was pretty cool. It's nice when
people bring things up and I knowthe area and I know personally what the

(15:41):
need looks like in that specific partof the community, you know, and
so this just makes me feel thatmuch more connected to what you all do.
So that's really cool. One questionI ask every nonprofit that comes in
here, and it's not the certainlythe most appealing question to ask, but
I feel like people listening do havea right to know. How are you
all funded at the Boys and GirlsClub? Is it public funding? Is

(16:03):
it private? Like? How doesthat look? It is a little bit
of everything. Okay. A lotof our funding is from the federal level
or from the state level. Wewrite for a ton of grants. I
feel like we write grant applications likeit's our only job, so funding sources
are varied. A lot of thoseour foundations here publicly that like United Way,

(16:29):
we have a huge partnership with UnitedWay, could not function without them.
And then we also bring in sponsors. All of those program areas run
with the help of local sponsorships.So if a company out there feels that
they have a tie directly to apart of our mission, or if their
employees would benefit from having that tiein with volunteer hours, or they just

(16:51):
feel connected to it personally, wewould love for them to help fund a
program area within the club. Andthat can be anywhere from one thousand dollars
to twenty five thousand dollars for anentire school year and really goes a long
way in providing supplies and access forthose kids that we talked about. Events.
Yeah, please come to Great ELEXIRmixer. Yeah, you know that

(17:11):
fifty dollars ticket The event is alreadypaid for through sponsorships. So the fifty
dollars ticket that you purchased to comeand drink with us, you're drinking for
the kids. I drink because ofkids at home. You are drinking for
the kids when you come to thisevent. I appreciate you saying that I
wish that was the only reason thatI drank it home. A lot of
times it's just because I'm cooking,and how can you cook? And not?

(17:33):
It's fine. We're not got toget into me that much. We
did mention earlier in the show theGreat Elixir Mixer is coming up. We
are going to talk about that herein a bit. I do have a
couple questions left for you guys,just kind of about Boys and Girls Club
overall, if that's all right.Amber and Rachel joining me from Boys and
Girls Clubs of Springfield. You,guys, I just saw some renderings of
a new facility. Can you tellme a little bit about what this facility

(17:56):
is because it looks awesome from thepicture as I saw is it has it
been built yet? Forgive my ignorance, it's on full display always. No,
it hasn't been built yet, butwe are. If you go go
out there, the ground is lookinglike a building is going to be there.
Wow, you know we're kind ofin that phase. Okay, So
what is the new place? Yeah? So it is the Risidal Family Teen

(18:18):
Center for Great Futures, and itwill be a center that its sole focus
is serving teenaged youth, So middleschool and high school youth in the Springfield
area, we free for them toattend WOW and they will have access to
numerous opportunities that will help them sortof prepare for life after high school.

(18:40):
Okay, so when I like,when I hear opportunities for teens, the
first thing I think is tutoring,right, And I don't know if that's
the thing that's there because you're mentioningopportunities after high school? Like, what
does that look like specifically? Yeah, great question, I only ask good
ones, right, she will tryingto encourage you there. So, yeah,

(19:03):
academic success is a huge part ofit. So there will be spaces
for you to receive tutoring, spotsfor them to have dedicated space to work
on their homework. Also, therewill be a big emphasis on workforce readiness.
Love it so that those are programsthat we already run with teens at
Boys and Girls Club, but thiscenter will just allow us to expand our

(19:25):
reach. So we're hoping to actuallydouble our current reach among team members in
Springfield and reach around one thousand unduplicatedyouth per year with that center, and
they will have opportunities to build firstjob skills, even opportunities to work a
first job, learn how to interview, fill out an application, all of
those things. They'll if they wouldlike to pursue college after they graduate,

(19:48):
then they're going to be connected tothe opportunities to get ready for that step.
That's awesome. Everything about that Ilove because it seems like it's based
in reality. I know there's beena lot of like prep programs that maybe
have a been I don't think whenI came out of college I was ready
to be an adult. I'm stillI'm forty now, not confident that I'm
very good at it either, youknow what I mean. So we need

(20:11):
having a center, and I wouldimagine too, not to sound super cool,
but like the vibe is probably differentwhen it's just teens as opposed to
you know, kindergarteners all the wayup through teenagers. So maybe a little
more freedom to explore who they areinstead of just you know, having to
navigate kids that are up to yourknees that kind of thing. So goodness,
I'm glad you said that. Ithink it's really cute to support a

(20:33):
charity that serves young kids, becauselittle kids are adorable. Yeah, but
sometimes I think we become so focusedon that as a community that we forget
about these teenagers. And that's thereal need area. You know, the
little kids need taken care of,but the teens need somewhere to go where
it feels like their space and wherethey are intentionally being served as well.
And they are in that next generationof adults and as someone with a thirteen

(20:56):
year old in my house, that'sscary. Yeah, but we want them
to be prepared. Yeah, Andthe center will also provide opportunities for them
to explore kind of some of thosethings that they just enjoy. So there
will be an art studio, therewill be like sport esports center. There's
going to be a barber shop,a needs store, some spaces just for

(21:19):
them to chill and hang out withtheir friends. So it'll it'll really be
a cool opportunity. Where is thatlocated. It is located on Catalpa and
the actual address is escaping me rightat the moment, but if you know
kind of near Fast Night Park,Like there was an old pizza hut that

(21:41):
closed. I loved that the pizzahut keeps coming up. It's the only
I describe it, and that's wherepeople know where it is is really near
there. I just drove past itthe other day because I was cutting through
town that Grant Avenue Park Avenue Park, I don't know, it was still
closed. So I got up toa certain point, I was like,
Oh, there's no road here anymore. It's just dirt, and so I
had to make the turn through.But I was like, oh, yeah,

(22:03):
I remember eating pizza from next Iused to live in that little neighborhoods
right over there by McGregor. Yeah, really cool stuff. We are a
couple weeks away now from summer.I know the Boys and Girls Club doesn't
just do after school, but youguys do summer programs, right Do those
just fill up immediately? Is thereno chance for people to get in right
now because we are so close tosummer? I mean, be honest with
it, because this is something thateven if parents can't take advantage of it

(22:26):
this summer, it's something they shouldbe aware of moving forward. We do
currently have a weight list. Yeah, we have a weight list all the
time. We have a weightlist duringthe school year for kids, and we
definitely have one for the summer.Yeah, you know, that's part of
the reason that we fundraise. Youwant kids there, so you have to
have adequate staff there, and wehave fantastic staffing numbers. We like to
keep that ratio nice and low sothat we can be very intentional with the

(22:48):
kids who come to the clubs.And right now would not be the time
to sign up for this summer,but next summer when it's available on April
first, Wow, which is whatwe did this year on their day of
and bring your kid. Yeah,okay, that's good information to have.
I know for parents, I seemto we were in the swing of it
now, but like when our kidsfirst started playing like sports, I had

(23:10):
no idea how not only quickly youhad to act when sports opened up,
but then like how much you reallyjust needed to drill it into your calendar
and needed to get to it thesecond that it opened up. So that's
really cool that you guys are ableto share at least April first next year
for summer next year, be readyfor that. We have a couple of
minutes left. I want to getback into If you were not here listening
at the beginning of this show,First of all, how dare you?

(23:33):
Second of all, Sorry, there'sa great event coming up and it sounds
like a ton of fun. It'san adults only event. I know we've
talked a lot about like making placesfor the kids to be kids, but
this is don't bring them just toleave them with a babysitter. Yah,
don't parents side out not allowed.It's coming up on the seventh of June.
Right, It's called the Great ElixirMixer. What is this all about?

(23:56):
The Great Elixir Mixer is a craftcocktail competition. It'll bring together some
of the best local bars and restaurantsto compete for awards for their best mixed
drinks. And the attendees are thejudges. So with your ticket you get
to walk around sample all of thewonderful cocktails. We'll have great food,
enjoy live music from the mixtapes andit will be an awesome evening. Yeah,

(24:18):
what is for I'm asking for me? Who was going to this?
What is the dress code? Like, like, is it super fancy?
This is what I wear every day? So date night casual? Well?
No, okay, Well I don'tgo on dates either, like my wife
and I haven't been on one inthe years. What's a shame on you?
Now? I'm amazing as a husband. Come on, it's just you
know, I'm fishing. So likewhat I mean, we're talking something with

(24:41):
a collar and some pants, right, I mean for guys T shirt and
blue jeans. Yeah, honestly,not super duper formal where people are going
to feel less. Some people docome in with a caller and jeans.
I would say that's the the acrossthe board. Yeah, kind of,
but there'll be people in T shirtsand as well. You know what I

(25:03):
call a collared shirt and jeans.I call that Ozark's wedding. Yeah,
every wedding I've ever been to hereis cowboys sheet somebody has been in.
Doesn't matter how fancy it is,doesn't matter how fancy I've had to get
dressed up. There's somebody always ina collared shirt and jeans. And I
just thought that's awesome. Same thing. No matter where you go out to
eat in the city, someone's alwaysgoing to be in sweatpants too. Keep

(25:25):
an eye out for that. That'sjust a fun little tip. But yeah,
it doesn't matter how nice of aplace, somebody's going to be in
sweatpants. How much time do wehave left? We don't have enough time
for this. How can folks gettickets for this? Because you mentioned earlier
that there is you know, thecovered cost is done right. Sponsors have
taken care of that already. Soliterally all the money that goes, and
it's funded through ticket sales, goesright to the Boys and Girls clubs and

(25:48):
what you guys do here in Springfield. So how do people get their hands
on tickets? They can go directlyto the Boys and Girls Club's website BEG
club Springfield dot org. That's it. I could have told I know what
it is. I know it wasright up there. I proved it that
one time, so obviously I stillremember what it is. I mean you
saw me giving Amber the sideye am, I saying this right? BG Clubs

(26:10):
Springfield dot org. Awesome? Andis there a cut off date for tickets
or can you buy all the wayup until the night of I mean,
just like Summer Camp, it's goingto fill up. That's what I'm concerned
about too, is like this soundslike such a fun event and I'm worried,
like if people don't act quickly onthis, yeah, they're going to
miss out. It's not a giganticvenue. We're hoping to see three hundred

(26:33):
plus a little more. Okay,three hundred tickets total is what will go
on sale. A small number,it is. Yeah, that's a small
number. All right, sell outfast and they'll go fast. BG Clubs
Springfield dot org. Neil did welldone. Anything. We haven't talked about
the Boys and Girls Clubs Springfield yetthat you guys want to mention. We
have a couple of minutes. Youknow, we're awesome. I don't have

(26:56):
say the same thing. It's morethan you think it is. I'll say,
is a new ish employee here.So many of the people who work
there have been club kids themselves,you know, have been through the program,
have worked there for years. Amberis well tenured. She knew exactly
what it was all about, whichis why we let her talk about it.
But as someone coming in, youdon't realize the width and breadth of

(27:18):
the programming that is offered and theimpact that this organization because it is national
and it's a big brand and yourecognize the logo. But everyone we serve
is right here in the community andwhat we're doing, what our staff is
doing, not even what we're doing. We just talk about it and raise
the money. But what's happening inthe club is so important, and we
actually have the opportunity if someone's listeningand they'd like to become more familiar,

(27:42):
we do something called the Great ClubTour on June twenty seventh. Is that
on our website, Amber, Idon't think so, but we'll be promoting
it a little on social media.Yeah, so if you look it up
on social media June twenty seventh,you would have the opportunity to come in
and actually take a tour with usand our CEO, Brandy Harris, if
for no other reason. She isamazing and hilarious and you'll make a new

(28:04):
friend. But we take you throughthree of our traditional club sites while kids
are in the building, and actuallyshow you the programs and you get to
meet the staff and see what it'sall about. We do a lot awesome
anything else. Amber, Before weget out of here, just thank you
so much for listening and thank youfor having us. Oh yeah, and
a lot of fun and we lookforward to seeing everybody at the Great Elixir

(28:27):
Mixer. That's going to be allI'm excited. Thanks for having us out
for it. We're pumped about itfor sure. Amber and Rachel by the
way, Rachel, congratulations on theengagement. Oh gosh, where'd you hear
about that? Thank you? Yeah, well I saw the ring. Oh,
because first of all, I wasconcerned. I was like, dang,
that's going to give you back problemsat some point. It's so big,
so just be careful of that.But also, congratulations, that's awesome

(28:48):
man. And thank you by theway, they mentioned it already. They've
done my job for me. Butyeah, thank you so much for listening.
If you caught only a part ofthis, you want to listen to
the entire thing. It is availableon of course, the iHeartRadio app,
which is you know, we haveto plug. It wouldn't be an iHeartRadio
show without the iHeartRadio app plug,but it is there to search iHeart theos
art. You can listen to thisepisode as well as back episodes of this

(29:08):
show with other great nonprofits and groupsaround Springfield as well. For myself,
Clint Gurley, the rest of ourstaff here at iHeartRadio, thanks so much
for listening. Have a great restof your day.