Editorial
Front Page - Friday, March 5, 2010
On Point to host annual fundraising dinner in March
David Laprad
On Point is a youth development program dedicated to helping young people make healthy choices. The organization will host its annual fundraising dinner on March 16 at the Chattanooga Convention Center. To purchase tickets, call 423-899-9188.
There are moments in every young person’s life that represent a crossroads. The choice be-tween different paths might not seem significant at the time, but whether it’s a decision to take drugs, engage in pre-marital sex or lash out physically against another person – or to stay clean, pursue a college education and contribute to the community – even the smallest step in one direction or another can change an individual’s life. The goal at On Point, a youth development program in Hamilton County and Northwest Georgia, is to help the next generation of adults make healthy choices.
People will have an opportunity to help On Point accomplish its mission during its annual fundraising dinner on March 16. Presented by Southern Champion Tray, the event will take place at the Chattanooga Convention Center from 6 to 8:30 p.m. and feature author Ron Hall, whose book, “Same Kind of Different Me,” is No. 13 on the New York Times’ list of the best-selling books.
“Hall’s story shows how people from different walks of life have the same basic need for support, friendship and connection,” Lesley Scearce, executive director of On Point, said in a press release announcing the event. “This is especially true of teenagers. Regardless of background, race or gender, all teens need consistent support to make healthy choices at this pivotal time in their lives.”
Hall is a Texas native and seasoned art dealer. In 2000, he began writing the story of how his wife convinced him to step outside his comfort zone and into the world of homelessness. Through this experience, Hall met Denver Moore, a man who would change his life. These days, Hall spends his time sharing their story with others.
Founded in 1991 in response to the alarming number of teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases in Hamilton County and North-west Georgia, On Point began as an abstinence-centered program. In the past 18 years, the organization has grown to equip more than 13,000 adolescents in those regions each year with the knowledge and support to abstain from risky behaviors including sexual activity, drug and alcohol use and violence.
One of the highlights of the fundraiser will be On Point’s announcement of the recipient of the Kris Frainie Scholarship. The beneficiary will receive $2,500 to be applied to tuition at the college or university of his or her choice. To be considered, a student must have good grades, have participated in an On Point program, be involved in his or her community or school, be committed to abstinence and have a desire to carry these values into college.
Kathryn Denovo, director of communications and outreach at On Point, said the organization began awarding the scholarship, named after the founder of On Point, two years ago to help college-bound high school graduates continue down the road of making healthy choices. “Last year’s recipient was well-spoken and dedicated to what she believes,” Denovo said following the announcement of the fundraiser in January. “She’d been placed in situations throughout high school where she had to stand up for what she believed, and we were impressed with that.”
The first recipient of the scholarship also overcame sizeable obstacles to clear a positive path forward. “It was tough for him to make healthy decisions because that behavior wasn’t modeled for him,” Denovo said. “It was a struggle for him to stay out of gangs, because he lived in a neighborhood where gangs and violence were prevalent. So, he set some goals and boundaries that kept him from falling into that lifestyle.”
Today, the young man is in college and planning to become a doctor. What’s more, once he’s finished his education, he wants to use his skills to help others.
“A lot of the kids we meet aren’t thinking any further ahead than the next party,” Denovo said. “They don’t realize they can go to college, start a career and come back to their community with something positive. So, it’s exciting for us to see someone go from thinking about the next party to planning for college and what they’re going to do after that.”
The fundraiser will also feature a number of teen speakers as well as entertainment. Tickets cost $50 for an individual, $350 for a table of eight and $300 for nonprofit organizations. To purchase tickets, call 423-899-9188. For more information about On Point, visit www.liveonpoint .org. Copies of “Same Kind of Different Me” as well as Hall’s new publication, “What Difference Do It Make,” are also available for purchase through the Web site.
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