Parkesburg Point Annual Banquet A Success!

In an April 3rd press release, adult leaders of the Parkesburg Point Youth Center called Saturday's annual fundraiser, an event which raised over $50,000 to support area youth, a huge success.

Here's the press release:

GAP, PA — Saturday, April 2, 2011 — More than 210 people packed the Greenhouse of Twinbrook Winery during the Fifth Annual Banquet held to benefit the Parkesburg Point Youth Center, raising more that $51,000 from attendees.

“We are thrilled that so many friends of the Point showed up to support our mission,” said Dwayne Walton, Executive Director of Parkesburg Point. “We had hoped to create an event that allowed us to better connect with our guest, but we never expected such an overwhelming response to our appeal.”

The evening featured several key elements, including a silent auction, live music, audio visual presentations, a scrumptious buffet, and a very moving acapella song by Sandra, a Parkesburg Point youth participant. Although the dinner was free to all in attendance, donations were solicited and people gave freely. As a result, over $51,000 was raised from sponsors, the silent auction and dinner attendees.

The highlight of the evening came from a testimonial provided by David Smith, another Point participant who shared that “My father dealt drugs, my mom used them and I…started to sell drugs also.” Then he made this moving analogy: “One of the most absurd things that you will ever witness in the ‘hood’ is if you look carefully, you would find that roses can spring up through the cracks in the concrete slabs that pave the streets.

Those same urine stained and blood stained concrete slabs are not strong enough to stop the growth of a little beautiful rose. I think God let me witness that as a young boy as a testament of his faithfulness. It was as if he was telling me that no matter how bad and ugly it gets he can work it out and make something beautiful out of all the ugliness. And boy was it ugly in my life.”

However, as a result of becoming connected with the Point, David went on to say that “My heart went from a hardened concrete slab to a fertile garden where God's beautiful truth was planted and bloomed. My life changed - I gave up the bad habits that formed through my years of rebellion. Now, I want to go back to school, to work hard, to be able to provide for my family.

I want to be a testament of how God can take a rebellious kid from the concrete jungle and transform him into an obedient son who serves others through my education and vocation.”  Executive Director Dwayne Walton stated that David’s story is one of many at the Point.  “The hope that David speaks of must be contrasted with the hopelessness that so many young people face each day” he says. “Hope must be demonstrated to be real. We all have an opportunity to do that by becoming models of God’s goodness. When that happens, we lift a person out of their darkness and into the light.”

Founded in 2003, The Parkesburg Point is a Christian based non-denominational youth center for area youth ages 8 to 18, committed to winning kids to Christ, building them up in their faith, and sending them out into their community as leaders. Their mission is to assist the Church by providing a safe haven that offers the hope of the Gospel by addressing the spiritual, emotional, physical and academic needs of the community.

For more information about The Point, to volunteer or to donate, please contact Dwayne Walton, 610-857-3393, info@parkesburgpoint.com, or visit us on the web at http://www.parkesburgpoint.com/ .