HOT SPRINGS -- Bo knows baseball. Bo knows football. And Bo knows a bright young man when he sees one.
Bo Jackson was the keynote speaker April 8 at the Great Futures Gala at the Hot Springs Convention Center supporting the Boys and Girls Club of Hot Springs.
Jackson spoke after Jalian Gentry, who was recently named statewide Boys and Girls Clubs Youth of the Year. The 10th-grader told the crowd that "family is not just about blood. It's about a team of people who love and support each other."
He said that the staff has taught him to fight for what he believes in, and "instead of talking about making changes, let's do it." Gentry received a standing ovation after his speech.
Jackson, who had spoken with a group of young people from the club before the dinner, directed his remarks at Gentry and joked, "Didn't I tell you not to show me up? Now I've got to redo my speech. You stole the show."
"Wish I had something like this when I was growing up," said Jackson about the club. "I could have been better than I am. All these people helping support this cause, you are making a difference. You see bits and pieces of it when you see boys like Jalian speak."
During the program, the Helping Hand Award was presented to Willie McCoy and Roger Maddox was named Advocate of the Year.
Jackson spoke a bit about himself and his life, how he was one of 10 kids raised by a single mom in a 700-square-foot house, how he overcame a speech impediment, but kept returning to the subject of the Boys and Girls Club. "I tip my hat to all the donors and sponsors in this room. Without you, none of this would be possible.
"Listening to that young man speak, it fired me up ... there's no place for him to go but up," he said.
Speaking directly to Gentry again, he said he'd heard that he won a $500 scholarship as Youth of the Year.
"Add a $1,000 to that," he said.
The Boys and Girls Club of Hot Springs serves 1,200 kids a year through its sports academic success and mentoring programs.
High Profile on 04/17/2016