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Haley Murray
Daily Egyptian

More than 70 people came together Wednesday to show their support for the Boys and Girls Club of Carbondale, which has helped put the city in the running for a state award.

The City of Carbondale, one of three finalists in its population category to possibly receive the Governor's Home Town Award as well as the 1991 and 1992 winner, was nominated by the Boys and Girls Club last spring.

"Because of the success that we've had in the last year of opening and operating a Boys and Girls Club, we decided that we would nominate the City of Carbondale to receive the award," said Julia Wetstein, president of the club's board. "Hundreds and hundreds of people came together to make this happen."

The Governor's Home Town Awards are given annually by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to communities that represent the spirit of volunteerism, according to the DCEO Web site. The award is a way to make sure volunteers receive thanks and recognition.

To nominate the city, the board had to go through a formal nomination package that includes letters of support, articles and testimonies.

After being notified that Carbondale was a finalist, the DCEO sent two judges to the site to sit in on an hour-long presentation put together by the nominators.

The Boys and Girls Club opened last September in the building that used to be the Carbondale High School. Randy Osborn, executive director of the club, said the building had to be completely renovated before opening. Walls had to be knocked down, windows added, electricity installed and carpets laid, he said.

"We paid, but a lot more time was put into it than what we paid for," he said. "We continue to get help with the maintenance and building repair."

In addition, the club also received numerous donations from local and national companies. Coca-Cola has offered to provide beverages for Club events and Ashley's Furniture donated furnishings, said Courtland Monroe, former president of the board.

"Once we got going, no one has turned us down," he said.

In total, the Club has received $161,000 in gifts in kind, ranging from carpeting and windows to advertisements and public relations work, and $134,000 in cash from individual donors, board member John Cherry said.

"In my 48 years here, I have never seen the community come together in the way they did on this project," Cherry said.

However, Wetstein said the award is not about the Boys and Girls Club. It's about the city government, organizations and citizens who made it happen.

"Since we've opened, all the civic clubs had fundraised and given money, individuals in the community have given money, people who live here and students at SIU have come to volunteer," she said. "It's a great way to say thank you."

Reporter Haley Murray can be reached at haley_murray@dailyegyptian.com