NASHUA – The Boys & Girls Club of Greater Nashua recently held their Bids for Kids Virtual Holiday Auction where attendees took to their smart phones to place their bids while enjoying the festive program via Facebook and YouTube Livestream. During the live event, Norman Bouthilette, Auction co-chairs, Mimi Thomas of Northpoint Construction and Alison Kalman of Lowell Five Bank and Auctioneer John Terrio came together to lead the program and encourage everyone watching to help meet the needs of the Club’s youth during this particularly challenging year.

Norm Bouthilette said, “For Club members and their families, this pandemic just compounded the challenges they already faced- food insecurity, learning loss, stress from family income loss, close living quarters and not always having the coping skills to deal with all these challenges. That is why the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Nashua is a critical part of this community. At the Club, we’ve adapted over and over during this pandemic to stay connected with members; first virtually, then through a limited summer camp model, and now with a full day of academic support, meals & snacks, and fun activities to give the kids the security and care they need.”

Mimi Thomas said, “It has, indeed, been a different year, but the Club has done a great job adapting to the changes. Not only did they put in place health and safety procedures to create a safe space for kids while parents work essential jobs, they also provide kids with important resources such as meals, mentors, enriching activities, and personal laptops for kids to engage in virtual learning. Funds raised through the auction support all of these great initiatives.”

The festive holiday event included top tier auction items, a Sparkle & Shine Raffle courtesy of Barmakian Jewelers, highlights from members at the Club adjusting to changes brought on by 2020, and a moving tribute to the Club’s soon-to-be-retired CEO Norman Bouthilette. During the tribute, Board members, staff, Club members, alumni, CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of America Jim Clark, and Nashua Mayor Jim Donchess shared heartfelt messages of gratitude in a personalized video celebrating Bouthilette’s 45 years of service to the Club.

Jim Clark said, “Under Norm’s leadership, the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Nashua has emerged as one of the top Clubs in the nation. He’s been a true partner to the community; actively collaborating with other youth serving organizations including other Boys & Girls Clubs throughout the nation. Above all, his unwavering dedication as an ambassador for youth has marked him as a leader among leaders.

Mayor Donchess said, “Norm, I want to thank you for your 45 years of dedication to the Boys & Girls Club. You’ve helped build the Club and made it into the great institution that it is here in Nashua which serves so many young people. You’ve led so many programs including Camp Mariposa, a very important program serving kids impacted by the opioid crisis. There are kids all over the city that look up to you, remember their experiences with you, and whose lives have enriched because of all you have given them. Thank you and good luck on your retirement.”

Board member Ellen Arouchon said, “Thank you for making our Board work much easier. We met our goals and also had fun along the way. It really has been all about the kids. So many have been impacted by your influence.”

The tribute to Bouthilette was proceeded by highlights of what the Club is doing the adapt the changes brought on the pandemic and how they are helping kids develop through each important stage of their lives. Club member Kalise, who has been attending the Club the past 8 years, along with her parents and staff mentors, reflected on her journey and how she evolved from a shy, unsure kid to a bright, self-assured, and hard-working young leader.

“When I first came to the Club, I didn’t have much confidence and I really struggled in school especially with reading,” said Kalise. “As I kept coming, staff and the other members gave me more confidence to open up and get more involved. They gave me to opportunity to become a leader and encouraged me to put myself out there. I’m now doing a lot better in school thanks to all the help I received at the Club. At the Club, we’re a community. We all rely on each other. We all look up to each other and we all feed off the energy of one another. I owe so much to the Club for what they’ve given me and who they’ve helped me become.”

Recently, the Club increased academic support and changed their hours to accommodate the members’ remote-learning school schedule. Daily, from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., members (ages 5-18) attend Zoom classroom sessions at the Club led by their teachers with Club staff members available to help navigate their schoolwork and build skills. During the afternoon, kids are able to unwind through the Club’s athletic, cultural arts and leadership programs.

To meet social distancing guidelines, Kids Club (grades K-3) and Clubhouse (grade 4-6) and Teen (grades 7-12) members enjoy recreational sports in the gym, swimming, arts and crafts, computer lab time, outdoor recreation, and games room activities in socially distanced groups while wearing masks.

Participants of the Bids for Kids Holiday auction were encouraged to support these initiatives through the live Fund-a-Need campaign. To make the night even more exciting, an anonymous donor contributed a $25,000 Challenge gift and agreed to match every Bids for Kids Holiday Auction Fund-A-Need Gift received from $1,000 and below up to a total of $25K. The challenge sparked a flurry of giving and continued to inspire the generosity of supporters even following the virtual event. Because many of the Club’s supporters were not able to participate in the live-streamed event, the Fund-A-Need Challenge will remain open until December 19th. Anyone interested in supporting the Club can go to bgcn.com to make their gift.

On top of individuals donors, companies and businesses throughout Nashua donated funds and auction items in support the Club’s Bids for Kids Holiday Auction. Lead Sponsors for the event included Diamond Sponsor- Northpoint Construction Management and Gold Sponsors- Lovering Volvo, Main Street Private Wealth Management, BAE Systems, Brad & Beth Kreick, EPIC Wealth Strategies, LLC with Steve Travaglini, and Triangle Credit Union.

Bouthilette closed the night by saying, “On behalf of all of us at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Nashua, thank you to all of our sponsors and supporters for your care and thoughtfulness throughout this challenging year. And thank you to everyone who was part of my journey at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Nashua. I’d like to wish you all a healthy holiday season and 2021 year ahead!”