Dyer Difference Award is inspired by music and the future
Music inspired the founders of the Ocean Youth Foundation when they were just children, and they wanted to ensure that every child could be inspired by and participate in the magic of music. “We have been in situations in our past,” said the foundation’s creators, “when our families were struggling financially to provide for us as children and when we were not sure we would be able to continue our musical education. If we had not had committed music educators and parents, our lives may have turned out very differently today. It’s our passion to ensure that every child, including your child, never needs to decide between helping their family pay their next month’s rent or mortgage or deciding whether they can continue their musical education.”
Through community collaborations help build connections, develop self-confidence, and encourage mentoring, youth and families throughout the Treasure Coast are not only connected with resources and funding for valuable educational experiences and unique opportunities but also given the chance to explore and discover their talents and passions. It is this passionate dedication to providing musical opportunities, ‘soul-full’ excellence for young string artists, and unselfish desire for unleashing a child’s full potential that caught the attention and the hearts of the Dyer Difference Award Committee.
In St. Lucie County, the Dyer Difference Committee believes in A Future Worth Fighting 4, which also happens to be the name of the nonprofit organization created and directed by Duane Henry, Sr., which is dedicated to empowering low-income and underprivileged youth through participation in organized sports. The mission of A Future Worth Fighting 4 is to foster physical health, social development, and exemplary citizenship by removing financial barriers that often prevent youth from accessing athletic programs. This is accomplish by providing year-round support and supplying youth sports equipment free of charge and also covering necessary participation fees.
In underserved communities where access to extracurricular activities is limited, these services are essential, and the impact of youth involvement in the program goes far beyond the field: students show improvement in school attendance and grades, along with enhanced motor and psycho-social skills, and are able to forge stronger family and peer relationships. Because they believe that the future truly is worth fighting for, the June Dyer Difference Award in St. Lucie County recognizes this group and its efforts on behalf of youth.
The Dyer Difference Award is all about celebrating the beauty and kindness in our midst. For the Dyer family and the members of the Dyer staff, the award and the $6,000 in contributions made monthly between the St. Lucie and Indian River Counties are all about helping to make a positive difference in the community. For the recipients, it’s an acknowledgement of their tireless efforts to do the same and a much-needed financial boost to help further their missions. If you’d like to nominate a non-profit organization for the Dyer Difference Award, please visit www.dyerdifference.org or find Dyer Difference on Facebook.
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