Merriweather to speak at Bird & Burger fundraiser
AJ Merriweather
by ARIEL McRAE | Associate Editor
amcrae@hchronicle.net
The Humboldt Boys & Girls Club is hosting their annual Bird & Burger fundraising dinner later this week on Thursday, April 27. This event is to help the club in its mission to provide the children attending Humboldt City Schools from kindergarten through high school with a great after school option for them to receive tutoring, life skills and socialization while removing the opportunity for them to cause trouble. The program relies on fundraising to help sponsor children’s fees for the club, equipment and other necessities.
Bird & Burger is only one of several events the Boys & Girls Club hosts throughout the year. There is a golf tournament, a Christmas beauty pageant and the angel tree program at the end of the year. These fundraisers allow the children to fully immerse themselves in the different activities the club offers such as but not limited to swimming, arts and crafts, tennis, reading, science, chef club and lyricism 101, etc. The club is open from 2:30 p.m. through 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and costs each child in the club $120 for the year. As previously mentioned, this event can sponsor a child’s fees for the club so they can receive help with their homework and the healthy after-school environment while they wait for their parents to get off work. It could also help sponsor a child for the eight-week summer camp the Boys and Girls Club hosts every year.
This year when someone purchases individual tickets or sponsors a table, the event will begin with a tour of the facility so the attendees can truly get a feel for the club and what the children who attend go through every day they come through the doors. Then, there will be a meal outside (weather permitting) where the food was made and prepared by the Boys & Girls Club kids who participate in the Chef’s Club program. Those purchasing a
MERRIWEATHER TO SPEAK – West Tennessee superstar, AJ Merriweather will be the speaker at the annual Boys & Girls Club of Humboldt’s Bird & Burger fundraiser Thursday evening. Merriweather played basketball at South Side High School in Jackson, Tenn. and attended East Tennessee State University and was drafted by the world-famous Harlem Globetrotters where he put his skills on the hardwood across the nation and internationally, mainly in Europe. Contact the Boys & Girls Club to see if tickets are still available.
ticket will be able to choose either a bird main course, like chicken, or a burger. After enjoying the meal, attendees will have the opportunity to listen to a former world-famous Harlem Globetrotter, A.J. Merriweather, give a speech about the importance of the Boys & Girls Club.
Merriweather is a Jackson, Tenn. native who is currently an entrepreneur, business owner, athlete and influencer. While attending East Tennessee State University on a full athletic scholarship, Merriweather played ball with Humboldt Viking standout, DeSonta Bradford. He later graduated from the University of Memphis in 2017, where he received his Bachelor of Science in Construction Engineering Technology. Last year, he was inducted into the Jackson Madison County Sports Hall of Fame for the five years he spent as a Globetrotter traveling the nation and overseas.
Now, he resides in Jackson and runs a construction company, which provides concrete services and residential renovations. He is a staunch supporter of community organizations like the Boys and Girls Club of America. His message for the program and to the students of the Boys & Girls Club of Humboldt is to follow your dreams. He is living proof that if you put your mind to it, put in the work and effort, you can accomplish you goals and dreams.
If you have not yet purchased your ticket for the Bird & Burger fundraiser, there is still time. Please contact the Humboldt Boys & Girls Club Director Gladys Robinson at 731-562-0067. You do not want to miss this opportunity to help the future of Humboldt—the children of the Boys & Girls club.
If you cannot attend but would like to support the club, Robinson will gladly accept any and all donations. Your donations help put these kiddos on the right track to becoming well-rounded adults and future leaders of the community.
