Spearheaded by JCO IV Gregory Winn, a longstanding member of the Kiwanis Club of Denton, the event was truly memorable for the youth who attended.
They heard a motivational and moving presentation by Texas Rep. Pat Fallon, who completed the Greatest Endurance Challenge – the World Marathon Challenge – tackling seven marathons in seven days on seven continents. He took the challenge after being inspired by Jonny Wade, a 7-year-old boy who battled pediatric cancer and had only one wish – ‘that no other kid ever gets cancer.’ Wade’s death led to the creation of Pediatric Cancer Foundation for which Fallon raised over $250,000 so far.
Fallon, who represents a portion of Denton County, said the takeaway from his experience is that we should “love our neighbor.” Afterward, when meeting the youth he told them to “never give up on your dreams, be patient and keep trying.”
Youth GV said he was grateful to be “recognized for doing something good” and DH said “it feels good to have accomplished something worth accomplishing.”
Both added that they appreciate Winn for being such a faithful and honest person. They said they like that he “treats them like kids.”
Winn said he “just believes in the kids and the club members are thrilled about the kid’s educational accomplishments.”
The other seven youth who earned their High School Diploma or Certificate of High School Equivalency were MC, AR, TG, SC, JJ, NH, and EB. They couldn’t attend the luncheon due to work or school, but all had a graduation party at the McFadden halfway house earlier in the month and their portraits join the others on the Education Wall of Honor at McFadden.
Kiwanis is a strong advocate for children, and the Denton club was founded 97 years ago to support children in Denton County. They work through schools, churches, and other organizations to meet the unmet needs of children including providing scholarships at Denton High Schools. - Denise Caldwell
PHOTO: Rep. Pat Fallon, shown here with two graduates, spoke to the youth.