OXNARD, Calif.—Members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme shared their dreams as people celebrated the ultimate “I Have a Dream” speech in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The kids participated in a workshop at the club for four days to help them learn how to express their life goals in writing. Creative interpretations of their own Lego Dream Houses, built in the club’s after-school program, were also on display at the event.
Thirteen club members, ranging in age from six to eleven, all Oxnard and Port Hueneme residents, expressed their personal visions for the future without reservations or limitations. Alexander Navarrete and Lupita Payro, both age nine, want to create a dream house with medical care for the homeless where “If a homeless person has cancer we have a cure for it and the medications are free. If a homeless person is lonely we give the person a pet.”
John Romero, age 9 and Sara Navarrete, age 6, plan to build a house called "Mansion Home Learning" to "better everyone’s education". The skills learned at their house will help "everyone get into college" and "to have more doctors and these doctors can help patients in a better way."
The “Dream Theme” at the club kicked off in early December when the club launched its second annual Ten Thousand Dreams Home Raffle which will help the club expand its membership from the 7,000 kids it now serves to 10,000. Young architects at the club built Lego Dream Houses (now on display at the Fifth Street location) to express their futures three-dimensionally. Future “Dream Theme” projects will include the creation of Native American dream catchers using colorful beads, yarn and craft supplies which will be given to the winner of the House of Ten Thousand Dreams Home Raffle as part of a welcome package.
Tickets for the House of Ten Thousand Dreams Home Raffle are on sale now. “Everyone wants to live along this famed coastline. Channel Islands Harbor is beautiful, and just about 15 miles south is Malibu, and about 30 miles north is Santa Barbara,” notes Tim Blaylock, chief professional officer of the club. The purchase of a $150 ticket is a chance to give loved-ones a dream home in 2008 (or the chance to win $1 million cash) and the reward of helping kids have a positive place to go every day.
For tickets, visit www.tenthousanddreams.net and download an entry form, or call toll-free to (866) 720-2582. A total of 18,000 tickets will be sold, with 200 prizes offered in three early bird drawings and one final drawing. The second prize is a 2007 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy motorcycle. Entry deadlines are listed on the site. The raffle ends March 31, 2008.
By involving parents, volunteers, educators and the business community, The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme helps youth reach their full potential through a positive environment, lifelong learning and programs dedicated to the arts, education, character and leadership development, health and recreation. Programs are based on physical, emotional, cultural and social needs, and are designed to expand participants’ areas of interest. For more information, visit www.positiveplace4kids.org or call (805) 815-4959, ext. 203. |
Mansion Home of Learning
By John Romero and Sara Navarrete
After reading Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech “I have a dream” We have a dream of our own. It’s a house made to help better everyone’s education. It will be called Mansion Home Learning. Here you will get to learn math skills and writing skills. Why is so important to learn math skills. Because you need all of these skills to get a good job. Here at the house you will learn how to tell time. We will teach you to eat more healthy foods. You will learn to have better and positive attitudes. This house will make more schools for others to learn. Having a better education will help everyone get into college and you won’t have to pay for it. This house will make it possible for everyone to graduate. This will help to have more doctors and these doctors can help their patients in a better way. Our dream home will help everyone in their education and make everyone smart.
After Reading Martin Luther King Jr’s I Have a Dream of My Own Speech
By Alexander Navarrete and Lupita Payro
I have a dream house that will provide home’s for the homeless and free medical care for everyone. The name of this place will be called Lupita’s and Alexander’s Help Home. We will help anybody that needs help. What we do is find homeless people and homeless pets and help them. For women that is going t give birth we will give them a house to live in. We will pay for everything that she needs for the baby. For the homeless we will check if there sick and we will give them free medical care. Then we will give them free medical check ups. Also we have a store that gives food, clothes, shoes and other things for free. If a homeless person has cancer we have a cure for it and the medications are free. If a homeless person is lonely we give the person a pet. Also everybody gets there own room for free. One of our room’s for the homeless people is for people to hang out with their friend’s. The room is made out of licorice and it will give you anything you want. It has a huge Nintendo DS and a Wii System. A voice system to talk on the phone to our friends.
Place For Kids To Go!
By Tyron and Maica Estacio
After reading Martin Luther King J.R. speech “I have a dream” It reminds me of a dream of my own. I have a dream of a magical house. It is a mansion called the Boys and Girls Club. In a place called the gym it turns into a master bed room where all people in the Boys and Girls Club could sleep. Staff named Tom, Antwaine, and Freddy have lots of fun ideas. There are pizza parties, Lego parties, and D.S parties. I will give my friend $100 if you don’t have one. If you get hungry go to the cafeteria and get free food. Go to the clothes room and get free clothes. There’s a place called the biggest place it is the games room. If you need something from the computer go to the computer lab. Our bathroom is really clean and big. There’s an arts and crafts museum. You could see Pablo Picasso there. In the master room there are stairs that turn into a slide and have an arcade. The house has 9 rooms and the kitchen is bigger than you could ever imagine. We even have educational games and stuff you could learn. There’s a hospital for your health, it is cool there. It is not scary in the Boys and Girls club. If it was real I would bring everybody on earth. This big place is a magical place. My brother and I have a magical dream that kids can come to a place to feel safe and have fun. |
