SMART Girls, STRONG Women
A Marquee Fundraiser to Help Support Programming for Girls
Make plans to join the Boys & Girls Clubs of Bloomington on Thursday, April 17th at the Steve & Connie Ferguson Crestmont Club from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. for the annual event:
SMART Girls, STRONG Women
This program will showcase how to help young women reach their full potential in today’s challenging world. Join us for this unique and heart-felt event as the Club attempts to raise the necessary funds that will enable our continuous effort to provide world-class programming to our young Club girls.
Join us to hear Motivational Speaker, Professor, Author & Empathy Coach, Vera Jones!
Vera Jones, “The Empathy Coach,” is an inspiring, funny, and relatable Motivational Speaker, Author, Life & Leadership Coach. She offers resilience, empathic leadership, communication, DEIB, mental wellness, and conflict resolution keynote speaking and training. A Syracuse University Hall of Fame scholar-athlete with a master’s from the Newhouse School of Public Communications, and an MTI Certification in Mediation and Conflict Resolution, Vera is also a former ESPN, Fox Sports, MSG, WNBA, and BigTen Network Basketball Analyst. She has coached college basketball, performed on stage as an actress with the Paul Robeson Performing Arts Company, and entertained as a stand-up comedian. Known as “Professor Jones” at the University of North Florida and the founder of the Perseverance Speakers Academy, in her “spare time” Vera helps students and professionals confidently polish their public speaking skills. In all her endeavors, her faith-based mission is to promote the power of empathy to inspire, educate, uplift, and unite.
Vera is a Prince George’s County, Maryland native residing in Jacksonville, Florida.
Make sure to enjoy us for this amazing event! It will be an empowering evening you don’t want to miss!
We will also highlight a female Club staff member who has gone above-and-beyond to answer the needs for our Club kids - especially during the immense challenges of these past years. Finally, we will have a Live Auction to raise funds to sponsor female Club members who attend the Boys & Girls Club!
WHAT DO I RECEIVE WITH A TICKET PURCHASE?
By purchasing a $100.00 ticket you will receive a dinner, dessert, and a program that will showcase how to help young women reach their full potential. Your $100.00 ticket purchase allows members at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Bloomington to receive world-class and life-changing opportunities! Finally, you are making a donation to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Bloomington as we continue to fulfill the mission of empowering all young people - especially those who need us most.
Thank you for your support! We look forward seeing you for SMART Girls, STRONG Women!
What is SMART GIRLS Programming?
An immensely beneficial and world-class program that directly impacts Club females, SMART Girls is a health, fitness, prevention/education and self-enhancement program for young women ages 8-17.
"SMART Girls taught me how to be myself and have fun!"
Julie B. | Age 12
SMART Girls Club Member
SMART Girls helps young women reach their full potential. Through dynamic sessions, group activities, field trips and mentoring opportunities with adult women, Club girls enjoy life-changing opportunities to build skills for eating right, staying physically fit, getting good health care, and developing positive relationships.
Other topics addressed through the SMART Girls programming with older girls include how the media influences attitudes about females, date rape and sexual harassment, sexually transmitted diseases, sexual myths and truths, getting regular gynecological care and the physical and emotional changes girls experience in their lifetime.
"You are you, and what you do matters. You can't be someone else while you're trying to be yourself. That's what SMART Girls gave me!"
Sasha A. | Age 14
SMART Girls Club Member
WHAT IS THE SMART GIRLS, STRONG WOMEN EVENT?
SMART Girls, STRONG Women is an annual event where funds to support SMART Girls programming are raised through various avenues including ticket sales, sponsorships, a live auction component and a concluding fund-a-need. This specific event, typically held during the springtime, has been a staple for the Club since 2016, and is traditionally a sold-out spectacle with nearly 300 people in attendance.
During the business-casual event, it will focuses on the importance of positive female-imagery to young girls in today's world. The event also includes a buffet-style dinner with dessert.
In 2024, the SMART Girls, STRONG Women event took place at Ivy Tech.
"SMART Girls allows people to talk about things that don't often get talked about that I believe are important for youth to know. It brings people out of their shells and into a safe space where we get to fully be ourselves."
Alex Wiley
2024 Youth of the Year, Boys & Girls Clubs of Bloomington (Ferguson Crestmont Unit)
PREVIOUS SMART GIRLS, STRONG WOMEN SPEAKERS & PANELISTS
Laurie Burns McRobbie
Mae Cassady
Joani Crean
Mona Dixon
Doris Sims
Sara Laughlin
Susie Graham
Mattie White
Sherry Dunbar-Kruzan
Dr. Sue Ellsperman
Sara Hamidovic
Jessika Hane
Nichole Hickman
Morgan Miller
Wendy Miller
Madalyn Moorman
Courtney Payne-Taylor
Tina Peterson
Ann St. John
Janis Stockhouse
Dr. Lori Thompson
Gracie Turner
Jennie Vaughan