Residents and families can have their names or those of their
loved ones permanently emblazoned on the city’s architecture, and
leave a lasting impression on the city’s youth at the same
time.
Residents and families can have their names or those of their loved ones permanently emblazoned on the city’s architecture, and leave a lasting impression on the city’s youth at the same time.
It’s part of the community service project led by the Leadership Morgan Hill class of 2011, who is planning on building a brick bench and planter next to the amphitheater at the Community and Cultural Center.
The class will raise money to help kids participate in local extra-curricular and civic programs by selling bricks to individuals, families and businesses, class member Jeff Burrus said. Donors can personalize their bricks with their family’s name, the name of their company or in memory of someone they want to honor or remember forever.
“The key purpose of the program is to benefit the underserved youth of Morgan Hill,” Burrus said.
There are many productive and healthy activities open to all young people throughout Morgan Hill, but some require hefty monetary expenses that often prevent otherwise interested kids from participating, Burrus explained. The money raised from the “Bricks for our Future” effort will be directed specifically to these underserved children.
For example, Burrus said in order to participate in the police department’s Explorer program, a boy or girl has to pay up to $500 for uniforms and other gear, plus they have to pay fees to attend competitions with other cities’ programs. “Not everybody can afford that,” he said.
Other programs such as Boy Scouts require payment of fees to attend some activities, Burrus said.
These and other local organizations will receive the donations collected from the brick sales and direct the funds to reach out to those who would otherwise miss out. Specifically, the leadership class will donate the proceeds to the Morgan Hill Youth Sports Alliance and the El Toro Youth Center and others as the builders become aware of the need, Burrus said.
Those interested in buying a brick may do so on the “Bricks for our Future” web site, www.bricksforourfuture.com. The cost of the bricks start at $100 for a bench brick and $150 for a planter brick, and goes up if donors want to add a logo to display.
Patrons have a limited amount of time to buy their bricks, as the class plans to complete the project by the middle of September, and there are a limited number of bricks needed for construction, Burrus said.
The MHYSA is in the process of developing a program that focuses exactly on the segment of youth that the Leadership class is targeting with their project, according to MHYSA president Jeff Dixon.
Known as the Community Sports Mentor program, its organizers will work with the school district and the city to identify kids who don’t have access to sports facilities, which can be costly, and are struggling with other challenges in school, Dixon said. The students will be paired up with adult mentors who are also community leaders, such as police and firefighters, to participate in the wealth of athletic opportunities available throughout Morgan Hill.
“We want to expose them to the fields, the pool, the Aquatics Center, so they can see parts of our community they may not have had exposure to before,” Dixon said.
Funding needs for the program will include transportation and other expenses, Dixon added.
The brick-purchasing endeavor also complements the overall objective of Dixon, the MHYSA and others who strive to serve the youth in Morgan Hill.
“It’s something I have a strong feeling for,” Dixon said. “(The leadership project) is a tremendous project to take on and I hope they’re very successful. There are a lot of deserving programs out there beyond us and the El Toro Youth Center (for example). The more we can help the better off we are.”
The planter and bench, which will also be adorned with a plaque denoting the Leadership Morgan Hill class as the builder, will be located on the edge of the city’s amphitheater. A chalk outline on the pavement now indicates the size and location of the project, which will likely end up using around 500 bricks, Burrus said.
