Ralph Wilson Youth Club Offers Kids A Home Away From Home
By STACY MOSER | Photos by JUSTIN BORJA
The Ralph Wilson Youth Club got its start with a simple idea. In 1965, laminate pioneer Ralph Wilson, Sr., founder of Wilsonart Engineered Surfaces, recognized a need in the community for high-quality, low-cost extracurricular programs to support the area’s children, no matter their gender, race or socio-economic status. He joined other concerned community members to establish the youth club as a safe place where kids could benefit from exposure to opportunities and experiences that they might not normally encounter. Today the youth club provides top-notch recreational programs—offering kids a welcoming after-school and summertime home away from home.
“If there’s one over-arching philosophy at this club,” says Jeff Stegall, director of the Ralph Wilson Youth Club, “it’s that every staff member is responsible for one important thing. They ask each child every day, ‘How are you?’ And they mean it. It’s so important to communicate that we care about how the kids are doing—not just physically, but emotionally too. Every single day.”
On weekday afternoons during the school year, Team Leader Cole Jones positions himself in the building’s lobby, a beacon of calm rising above a moving sea of children, as the kids clamber off the club’s after-school buses and enter the building. He is joined by other staff members who greet more than 350 children—fielding their high-fives and hugs as the kids move past them. During the summer, the club’s “client list” expands to almost 750 children, all of whom are given free reign to participate in any of the club’s activities that interest them. “We say that we have 750 clients with 750 kinds of needs,” Cole remarks as he scoops up a sweatshirt that’s fallen from a child’s backpack.
Cole says that his entire family has worked at the club since he was little. “I practically grew up here,” he acknowledges. “This is a really special job. During every encounter with a child, we have an opportunity to make a kid’s day better. We greet them with open arms.”
The 47,000-square-foot state-of-the-art recreational facility offers a large range of activities—most would cause any child to swoon with excitement. There’s a movie theater, skating rink, outdoor playground, athletic field, basketball and volleyball courts (hosting 68 club teams for kids of all skill levels), library, computer center, dance studio, video arcade, teen lounge and even a culinary kitchen offering cooking classes.
The club relies heavily on volunteers—young and not-so-young—to keep children busy and safe.
“Once kids are 14 and are too old to participate as members,” Cole explains, “they can volunteer here. Then, once they’re 18 and old enough to be hired, they’ve already participated as a member and as a volunteer. And adult volunteers come here to teach their vocations or skills to the kids. For instance, we recently had a karate master come in to hold classes for kids who wanted to try it.”
“We fill in the missing pieces where schools can’t,” says Emily Winkler, the club’s art and program director. “Kids get homework help when they need it, but they also get the stimulation of lots of new activities and social interactions with kids they might not normally meet.”
Students from the Temple, Belton and Academy Independent School Districts populate the club, each rubbing elbows with other children whose backgrounds can differ greatly from their own.
“You never know what you’re going to walk into with this mix of kids,” Emily says, smiling. “It’s kind of awesome!”
Cole leans toward Emily, stage whispering, “And kind of scary!” They both laugh.
“With this wide range of ages, the kids are all going through different stages of life. And it’s our job to guide them through it,” Emily says.
De’avonte Carr Boy of the Year
When Ralph Wilson Youth Club staff members explain what attributes earned sixth-grader De’avonte Carr their Boy of the Year award, one phrase pops up over and over: “compassion for others.”
De’avonte is proud to explain how he looks out for children younger than he is, even when he’s out on the club’s football field or the basketball court, two of his favorite pastimes.
This past summer, the athletic 12-year-old was invited to participate in the youth club’s annual trip to the mountains of Colorado, one of eight children chosen to go with a full scholarship. His eyes dance as he describes the experience.
“The best part was when we climbed to the summit of a mountain and got to see the sunrise,” he says.
Jeff Stegall, director of the youth club, camped with the kids during the trip. He recalls how De’avonte assisted a younger camper who struggled with the altitude and physical exertion of their daily hikes, “De’avonte stayed at the back of the group and just put his arm around the boy and encouraged him. That’s the kind of leader he is.”
Kylie Dixon Girl of the Year
Third-grader Kylie Dixon is all smiles. The soft-spoken 8-year-old is clearly excited to walk through the doors of the Ralph Wilson Youth Club at the end of her school day. She generally heads straight for the gym, where she is well known amongst her many friends for her skills on the volleyball court.
Kylie has experienced a terrible amount of loss in her life, with the death of her great-grandfather, grandfather and uncle all in this past year. “She has a lot of strength to get through this with such a good attitude,” Kylie’s mother, Donna, says. She attributes Kylie’s ability to handle the loss in part to Kylie’s affection for the club’s staff. “They definitely develop a bond with these kids—Kylie knows she’s in a safe place where she can be happy.”
This month, Kylie was recognized by the club’s staff members as an exemplary child. She was voted the club’s Girl of the Year, an award that acknowledges children who set high standards for themselves and inspire others to do their best.
When asked what she wants to do when she grows up, Kylie enthusiastically answers, “Work here! I want to be an art teacher.”
The Last Night Gala: A Fundraiser Takes Flight
Photo by JULIE DOUGHTY
Visitors to the Ralph Wilson Youth Club are instantly impressed by the colorful, imaginative building and grounds, where children are inspired to learn through activity and creativity, leaving their cares at the door.
But what most visitors don’t notice is the hum of activity behind the club’s office doors. Inside those back rooms, staff and volunteers go about the business of planning and maintaining every aspect of the place—including keeping the bills paid. The club offers after-school memberships for $95 per month for each child, an amount significantly less than what that service actually costs.
The club’s board works hand in hand with community leaders to raise funds to support the club. And one of those fundraisers in particular goes above and beyond.
Bill DiGaetano, a member of the board and uncle to two young youth club members, tells the story of how the club’s popular annual “Last Night Gala” fundraiser came to be.
His goal was to find a venue for a New Year’s Eve party that would knock the socks off potential donors. “We really needed to step it up and increase donations for club operations. So I was looking for something different and cool,” he explains. “I think private aviation is very aspirational and exciting, so I floated the idea of selling tickets to a black-tie party with dinner and dancing at the McLane Group’s private airplane hangar.
“At first, Mr. (Drayton, Jr.) McLane thought I had lost my mind. But he’s always focused on how to make Temple and Central Texas better, challenging everyone to think about new initiatives. So he graciously agreed to allow us to use the hangar.”
Bill was amused at McLane’s initial request for the festivities. “He really got excited about having fireworks for the party. So we stage a huge fireworks display there at exactly midnight every year.”
When asked why the holiday season has special significance to him, Bill shares that he met his wife, Michelle, in December 2013. “Two weeks after we met, I had a chance to travel to Paris, but I was by myself. I called Michelle at midnight on New Year’s Eve as I watched the Eiffel Tower explode with lights.” He says the happy memory of that conversation is an inspiration to him as he and Michelle help plan the youth club’s gala every year.
The Details
Last Night Gala benefitting the Ralph Wilson Youth Club
McLane Group Aviation Hangar, Draughon-Miller Regional Airport, Temple
Monday, December 31, 2018, at 7:30 p.m.
Dinner & dancing to music by Blind Date, fireworks at midnight. Valet parking and child care available.
Go to RWYCKids.org/Last-Night/ for tickets or a table or call 254-773-9001; hotel package available at the Hilton Garden Inn
