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Cuonzo Martin to Speak at Boys & Girls Club Champions Dinner Thursday, May 16, 2013 at First Baptist Church

 

The Boys & Girls Club of Greeneville & Greene County will hold their 13th Annual Champions Dinner on May 16, 2013 at First Baptist Church.  University of Tennessee head basketball Coach Cuonzo Martin will be the keynote speaker. The event is a fundraiser for the organization that serves many children annually from throughout Greeneville & Greene County with a variety of after-school,summer and  youth sports programs. This year’s event is title sponsored by Forward Air & Laughlin Memorial Hospital. The event will start with a reception at 6:00 pm to meet Coach Martin, Dinner at 6:30 pm with the evening’s program to follow.      The Champions Dinner has become known for its dynamic speakers which have included past speakers such as University of Tennessee legends as Pat Summitt, Al Wilson, Bruce Pearl, Phil Fulmer, Ray Mears, Johnny Majors, Tee Martin, Al Wilson and Dale Ellis as well as former Atlanta Braves slugger Dale Murphy and NFL Hall of Famer, Mike Singletary. “This year promises to be no different, with Cuonzo Martin,” stated Scott Bullington, Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Club.      In two exciting seasons as the University of Tennessee's head basketball coach, Cuonzo Martin has the Big Orange hoops landscape abuzz about the Volunteers' future built upon a foundation of defense, discipline and toughness. Martin's first UT squad was picked in the preseason to finish 11th in SEC, but his Vols won eight of their last nine regular-season games en route to a 10-6 record in league play and second place in the final conference standings.  A strong finish also was in order during the 2012-13 campaign, as Tennessee again won eight of nine to conclude regular-season play. Blue Ribbon named Martin its 2012 SEC Co-Coach of the Year. On the recruiting front, each of Martin's first two Tennessee signing classes have featured a five-star, top-25 national prospect - power forward Jarnell Stokes in 2012 and shooting guard Robert Hubbs III in 2013.      While Martin's walk to the podium on March 28, 2011 -- the day he was introduced as the program's 18th head coach -- was only a few short steps, it called to mind the inspiring journey that brought him from a single-parent home in the drug-ravaged streets of East St. Louis, Ill., to the hardwood at Purdue University -- where he earned a degree and paved his way into the NBA -- to the top echelon of the college basketball coaching ranks. "This is a top-25 job," Martin said. "But the goal for our program is to one day be the last team standing and be the national champion, and I think we can do that with the right pieces." The 41-year-old Martin landed on Rocky Top after a remarkable three-year stint as the head coach at Missouri State from 2009-11. In his final season in Springfield, Mo., Martin became the program's first-ever Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year and led the Bears to their first-ever regular season MVC championship. That team posted a 26-9 overall record. At the 2011 Final Four in Houston, Martin received the Ben Jobe National Coach of the Year Award, presented annually to the top minority head coach in Division I men's basketball. The USA Basketball Junior National Team Committee handpicked Martin to join Matt Painter and Brad Stevens on the United States men's coaching staff at the 2011 FISU World University Games in Shenzhen, China.      In Knoxville, it took very little time for the Tennessee team Martin inherited to appreciate the impressiveness of his coaching style and the staff he assembled. It's easy to see how Martin grew proficient at developing great players. His mentor, Purdue legend Gene Keady, was a six-time National Coach of the Year and is the second-winningest coach in Big Ten history. And in Martin's case, the apple didn't fall far from the tree. "I don't like to put labels on any of my players," Keady said. "But in 50 years of coaching, he's the best leader I ever had."      Martin was a standout player for the Boilermakers as a collegian, scoring 1,666 points in 127 career games. Purdue posted a 90-37 record during his four-year career, including a combined 54-12 mark in his last two seasons. He made 45.9 percent of his 3-point attempts (179-for-390) over his junior and senior seasons and was an 80 percent free-throw shooter. During Martin's senior year (1994-95), he averaged 18.4 points per game while leading Purdue to the second of three consecutive Big Ten championships, earning first-team All-Big Ten honors. Broadcaster Dick Vitale also named Martin to his All-Defensive Team in 1995. Martin also set the Purdue school record for 3-pointers made in a game, draining eight treys in an NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen contest against Kansas on March 24, 1994 -- a game hosted at Tennessee's Thompson-Boling Arena. The Boilermakers won that game to advance to the Elite Eight, and Martin's record has yet to be topped.        The Atlanta Hawks made Martin the 57th overall pick in the 1995 NBA Draft, and he played professional basketball for four years, including NBA stints with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Vancouver Grizzlies. He also was the team captain and leading scorer with the Grand Rapids (Mich.) Hoops of the Continental Basketball Association for three seasons and was the leading scorer for Felize Scandone in Avellino, Italy, in 1997. In November of that year, Martin was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and returned to the United States for treatment of a malignant tumor between his heart and lungs. He received his last treatment on April 20, 1998, and is now in full remission. After triumphing against cancer -- as he did with every obstacle previously placed in his path -- Martin was summoned by Keady back to Purdue and received his bachelor's degree in 2000. "That was the biggest accomplishment to me," Martin said. "It was very humbling to walk across that stage and get my degree."     From 2000-08, Martin served as an assistant coach at his alma mater, working side-by-side with Keady, Painter and Paul Lusk. During that span, the Boilermakers made three NCAA Tournament appearances. In September 2007, Martin was promoted from assistant coach to associate head coach.  In March 2008, Martin was introduced as the head coach at Missouri State. After finishing 11-20 in his first season with the Bears, the team improved to 24-12 and won the CollegeInsider.com postseason tournament title in 2009-10.  Martin's last two Missouri State squads averaged 25 wins, a record of 50-21. All told, from his first season to his third and final year in Springfield, Martin increased Missouri State's win total from 11 to 26, and the Bears' conference victories increased from three to 15 -- an improvement of 400 percent. Finding a more impressive two-year turnaround would prove to be a tall order.     Martin graduated from Lincoln High School in East St. Louis, Ill., and, along with eventual NBA Lottery Pick LaPhonso Ellis, led the Tigers to a pair of IHSA Class AA state championships. In 2007, Martin was honored as one of the 100 Legends of the IHSA Boys Basketball Tournament.  He also has used his courage and experience with cancer to promote awareness of cancer research and support numerous cancer charities. In 2008, Martin served as a spokesman for the inaugural Purdue Center for Cancer Research Challenge, which attracted more than 1,000 runners and walkers and raised more than $30,000 for cancer research at Purdue. In his honor, the Cuonzo Martin Challenge Award was established. Cuonzo and his wife, Roberta, have two sons, Joshua and Chase, and a daughter, Addison. For tickets or more information on the event contact Scott Bullington or Bridget Jones at 423-787-9322 or stop by the Club at 740 West Church Street next to the Greene County Health Department.

10th Annual Bob Kesling Boys & Girls Club Celebrity Golf Classic set for Friday, June 14, 2013 at Link Hills Country Club in Greeneville, TN       The 10th Annual Bob Kesling Boys & Girls Club Celebrity Golf Classic will be held on Friday, June 14, 2013 at Link Hills Country Club.  The event will be held to benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Greeneville & Greene County and it is title sponsored by DTR Tennessee and Landair.  The event looks to have one of the marquee formats for this area as Kesling has invited celebrities from around the region to compete with local teams of four in this year’s tournament.  This year’s event is first come, first serve for 170 golfers entered.  Former college and pro athletes as well as college coaches will be among the celebrities that will be involved in this year’s event.  Past tournament participants have included: Chris Lofton, Cuonzo martin, Johnny Majors, John Ward, Bruce Pearl, Ray Mears, Jeff Francis, Dane Bradshaw, John Chavis, Jeff Hall, Bert Bertelkamp, Rick Clausen, Craig Colquitt, Anthony Hancock, Condredge Holloway, Dale Jones, Bobby Scott, Pat Ryan, Dewey Warren, Nick Reveiz, Luke Stocker, Lamarcus Thompson, Jonathan Crompton & Dick Williams just to name a few as well as individuals that played collegiate & professional sports, broadcasters and other notables.  Many of the celebrities have University of Tennessee ties, but Tusculum College, East Tennessee State University, Appalachian State University and Carson Newman have also sent participants to this annual event.     The tournament will start with an open range and then lunch  at 11 am.  This will be followed by a round of golf for all participants that starts at noon.  The evening will be capped off with a dinner at 5:30 pm and an auction hosted by Kesling at 6:00 pm.  The auction will be open to the golfers with several sports memorabilia and local items up for bid.  The auction items also include many golf packages to play rounds at golf courses from Tennessee, Virginia, South Carolina and North Carolina.  Tickets to the dinner and auction will be available to the general public for those not participating in the golf tournament.  The tournament participants will have a chance to win $10,000 and vacation packages for a hole in one as well as prizes for the longest drive and closest to the hole contests.  Kesling stated “that it was a great honor to be involved in an organization such as the Boys & Girls Club.  He stated that living in Knoxville he has seen what an impact Boys & Girls Club’s make on a communities youth.  I hope that from our tournament that we can provide some additional funding for this great organization for the youth of Greeneville & Greene County.” Jerry Fortner, long time event chairman stated, “We are taking sponsorships if any business or individual wants to help sponsor this year’s event for the youth of our community”. Boys & Girls Club Celebrity Auction set for August 10, 2013 at Trinity United Methodist Church in Greeneville, TN  Forward Air and Summers Taylor will present the 14th annual Boys & Girls Club Celebrity Auction on Saturday, August 10, 2013 at Trinity United Methodist Church.  The annual event has grown greatly over the past eleven years into the biggest annual event of this type locally each year.  As usual the club will have many items for sale from sports & entertainment memorabilia to political items to local items such as food certificates, hotel stays and golf packages.  The event will have an item preview and buffet dinner from at 6:00 pm to 6:45 pm with the live and silent auction of celebrity & local items starting at 6:45 pm.  Tickets are on sale for $20 each and can be purchased at the Boys & Girls Club of Greeneville & Greene County located at 740 West Church Street.  Call Scott Bullington or Bridget Brannan Jones at 787-9322 for more details. The Boys & Girls Club is open Monday-Friday from 8 am until 6:30 pm for the school year and 7:30 am- 5:30 pm during school breaks and for the summer.    The auction will be set up with some items going live and others as a silent auction, due to the large volume of items that will be on sale.  Items range from signed scripts and photos, footballs, movie posters, basketballs, helmets, books, shirts, golf hats and many other autographed items of interest. In addition to the celebrity items the sale will include event tickets, Tennessee Vol tickets, movie posters, framed pictures & prints, gas grill, local food certificates, golf passes, oil changes and many other items will also be on sale at the auction.  The title sponsors for this year’s event are Forward Air and Summers Taylor.    How did the Boys & Girls Club get all of the items you ask?  Scott Bullington, Executive Director, of the local club stated that the club mails out over 5,000 letters each year to celebrities, studios, agents, sports clubs and other notable people requesting items to benefit the club and it’s many activities. “We have received around 500 -600 items the past two years and we expect the same or more again this year” stated Bullington.  It’s really nice that we have some people that have set us an item each year of the auction.  The club has items from sports, politics, TV, publishing, movies and other celebrities. “It is really great for our club kids to see that these people from around the world care enough to take the time to send something for our auction to benefit the kids of our community.  It really makes me appreciate them more.” Stated Rebecca Tipton, a Boys & Girls Club Board member and Co-Chairman of this annual event.

 

The Boys & Girls Club believes every child has the potential to BE GREAT. In support of this strong conviction, our club strives to build caring, responsible citizens. The Boys & Girls Club family – a community of staff, volunteers, parents, youth and supporters – works together to create a positive place, full of hope and opportunity, for every child.

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To inspire and enable all young people,

2013 Boys & Girls Club Day for Kids

September 22, 2013             2-5 pm at Hardin Park in Greeneville

All are critical in exerting positive impact on the life of a child: