Dawgpix in the news

[TDAWG]

Morris keeps elevating growth of Boys & Girls Club









Tom Morris puts on a dandy golf tournament and he will do it for the 10thstraight year Friday when hosting the West Monroe Boys & Girls Club Classic at Calvert Crossing.

There will be plenty of tasty food courtesy of Jim Doull and Taco Bell, plenty of neat T-Gifts, and plenty of "I can't believe that putt didn't go in."

There's even still room for a few more morning teams (4-man scramble) if you aren't afraid to compete against me and the Three Stooges (you remember Larry, Curly and Moe). Call 237-3030.

But putting on this tournament isn't what T-Mo does best. Playing golf isn't either.

What Tom Morris has done best of all for the past 11 years is continually work feverishly to improve his Boys & Girls Club organization — and thus improve the lives of countless young people.

Morris, a former newspaper editor who is still a mighty mean photographer, took over the WMB&G Club in 1994.

What he immediately found was a dilapidated facility on Evergreen Street. What he immediately did was start a renovation project — on the building and on volunteer support.

Within five years, Morris and his merry band of Goodhearted Citizens had made $140,000 worth of improvements — with $29,000 in cash and much more in kindness.

"Our board members deserve much of the credit," said Morris. "They have made the club more visible through their own participation and because they have gotten friends and businesses involved.

"The renovation succeeded because we received donations of over $100,000 worth of services and materials," he said.

With an undated facility completed in 2000 — featuring improvements such as ceramic tile throughout, new light fixtures, air-conditioned gym and a new roof, and the conversion of the library into a wireless computer lab — Tom's kids suddenly started coming for daily visits in droves.

"We now average over 100 kids daily after school (and a lot more in the summer months). We have tutors and computers are there for homework.

"Mrs. Lynn May is our art director and she came to us after a 32-year teaching career. She is amazing and so is our program director, Donna Harris," said Morris.

But Morris and his band of Goodhearted Citizens (board of directors) believe there is much more need out there than the Evergreen facility can handle.

So they have added a Teen Center at the old West Monroe Junior High facility (which now houses the Ouachita Parish Alternative Center).

And thanks to a partnership with the city, a facility is also operating at the West Monroe Community Center near River Bend School.

Yet another after-school program location has been added at Woodlawn Elementary and more facilities are being planned in key locations.

"It is all about outreach. We have a lot of youngsters who need the type support we can provide, so we are going to them in as many neighborhood locations as possible," said the hustling CEO.

No wonder T-Mo puts on a super tourney that raises over $15,000 per year. He doesn't have anytthing else to do.



KEITH PRINCE is a staff writer for The News-Star. Contact him at 362-035 or at P.O. Box 1502, Monroe, La. 71210. Originally published April 21, 2005

[Champ967]

Dawgpix is a ROLE MODEL!

Way to go T-Mo!