Derosier repeats as Wellington's Youth of the Year

By Gary Raham
Wellington Correspondent

Sarah Derosier, three-year member of the Wellington chapter of the Larimer County Boys and Girls Club, loves working with people--and it shows.

"Sarah is a very active member," said Donna Hummel, director of the Wellington extension. "She volunteers a lot of time and is just an overall good kid. She will go places in life."

Hummel also noted that Derosier has been very involved with the club's Get Real anti-tobacco program and has joined its advisory committee this year.

Derosier is a sophomore at Poudre High School. "She's a third year Spanish student," said her mother, Donna, "and has become very interested in forensic psychology. I think she'd like teaching or some job working with people."

The Derosiers moved to Colorado shortly after the events of 9-11, which the family witnessed from a Manhattan bridge facing the towers. "Sarah's brother was working at the Pentagon at the time," said her mother. "For a while, we didn't know if he was OK or not. It was a confusing, stressful time."

Eventually, the family decided to move from Boston to Colorado. Small-town life in Wellington looked attractive.

The Wellington Boys and Girls Club honors a youth every month. Derosier helped design a bulletin board with pictures of monthly winners that this year included Kayla Carey, Anthony Jimenez, Daniela Medrano, Stephanie Lauzon, Dominique Schiffman, Kayla Worth, Kris Rolek, Rebecca Perry, Ashley Duran, Rachel Heiden and Megan Billington, along with Derosier.

Derosier will represent the Wellington club in the countywide "Breakfast with our Champions" event on Feb. 7 from 7 to 8 a.m. at the 4-H Building at The Ranch. She's preparing a short speech.

This year, like last, she will be cheered on by representatives of Anheuser-Busch, one of the principal sponsors of the Wellington club. In addition, the town of Wellington provides money for capital improvements each year, donates use of the building and pays for maintenance and utilities.

Wellington's club serves about 300 youths per year, providing after-school activities and learning experiences for children ages 6 to 18, including book clubs, pottery and music lessons, computer lab, games, crafts, sports activities, field trips and cooking classes. This year, the club is instituting a basketball tournament with other Boys and Girls clubs in the area. Another club program called the Peanut Patrol "provides children with the knowledge, skills and self-esteem to help them avoid risky behaviors and situations, including involvement with alcohol, tobacco and other drugs."

In addition to sponsors, fund-raisers and donations help fund club activities. Derosier, in her new position on the advisory committee, has been active, according to Hummel, in making suggestions.

"She's gotten some ideas from school activities," said Hummel, "like the Penny Jar." Boys and Girls enter in a bit of healthy competition by seeing which gender's jar fills up the fastest with spare pennies.

Parents are always welcome at club headquarters on the east end of Wellington's town park on West Harrison. The club is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 2:30 to 6 p.m. when school is in session and five days a week during winter and spring breaks. When school is out, hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Parents can call 568-7338 or e-mail Hummel at wunitdirector@boysandgirlsclubs.org.