News Article

For more than 60 years, the John Avery Boys & Girls Club has been an oasis for Durham’s inner-city neighborhoods, providing a safe, nurturing environment for area kids.

But while devotion to children is in ample supply, the Boys & Girls Club, like many non-profits, has limited financial resources. So Womble Carlyle’s Research Triangle Park office is giving the Club a helping hand in its efforts to assist Durham’s youth.

On Dec. 14th, the firm presented a $1,525 donation to the John Avery Boys & Girls Club, all contributed by the RTP office. That amount includes a $1,000 sponsorship of the Club’s upcoming Golf Fore Kids charity golf tournament, as well as $525 raised through a holiday raffle.

In addition, Womble Carlyle donated toys, educational games and gym equipment to the Club, and provided snacks for more than 100 children and staff members who attended the presentation of holiday gifts.

Culley Carson, former intellectual property attorney in the RTP office, a Durham native and a member of the Board of Directors for the John Avery Boys and Girls Club, organized the fundraising effort. He said he knows first-hand what a positive influence coaches, mentors and other caring adults can have on young people.

"I had a coach, Roland Miller, who passed away this summer," Carson said. "Several friends of mine and I discussed doing something on behalf of this coach who meant a lot to us." Carson said the initial goal of saying thank you to a coach who made a positive impact on him has developed into a sustained interest in giving back to the Durham community in which he was raised. "After touring the Boys and Girls Club in August as part of my initial interest in the Club, I was struck not only by the tremendous needs the Club seeks to meet for the community but also by the dedication of the staff and passion for making a difference in the lives of these children. Seeing this convinced me that this was an organization that I wanted to help in order to give back to the community where I grew up and hopefully make a difference in the life of a youngster as Coach Miller did for me."

Carson and RTP Office Manager Mia Pizzagalli along with attorney Ken Lewis and staff members John Hooker and Talena Chavis presented the gifts and donation to the Boys & Girls Club. In appreciation, the children at the club gave the attorneys a hand-made "Thank You" banner.

The John Avery Boys & Girls Club primarily serves children from low-income neighborhoods where crime, drugs and poverty are an all-too-real part of life. The club provides more than sports and recreation to these children – it offers a comprehensive array of character-building, academic and life skills programs. Kids receive homework help along with enrichment activities such as Quiz Bowl, visual arts, dance and computer training. Boys & Girls Club programs like SMART Moves encourage students to avoid drugs and alcohol, while Street SMART helps youngsters resist gangs and crime.

In addition to the recent donation, Womble Carlyle attorneys are providing pro bono legal assistance to the Boys & Girls Club. The Club’s administrative building is adjacent to an abandoned, dilapidated house, which is often frequented by drug users. The Club is working to buy the property and build a teen center, and Womble Carlyle is offering free legal aid in that effort.

Carson said the RTP office plans to continue its support of the John Avery Boys & Girls Club in 2007 and beyond.

"It provides kids with a positive place where they can be a constructive member of the community," he said. Womble Carlyle can be proud of its association with the John Avery Boys and Girls Club and looks forward to a sustained partnership to help the children of this part of our community," Carson said.

To make a donation to the John Avery Boys & Girls Club, you may do so online or you may contact Floyd Laisure at (919) 687-4517.