Gaston County Jaycees

07/31/2026

07/31/2026

Last night our volunteers were blessed to announce that this year, each and every one of the 25 students in the My Brothers and My Sisters With Purpose program will receive $200 at this year’s Back-To-School shopping event! 📣🤩

Because of the incredible support of our primary sponsor, the AM Optimist Club of Gastonia, alongside the incredible support we received at our Distinguished Service Awards, we are able to pass the blessing to each student who is preparing their return to school!

Alongside the $200 budget, we are also providing a large portion of their required school supplies, which means their budget can go to clothes, shoes, hygiene products, or any of the things that will get them excited and prepared for the first day of school 📚

On Sunday volunteers will pair up with students to help oversee their budget, and ensure they have everything they need to be successful at school, before getting into the fun stuff!

Stay tuned for pictures and updates from Sunday, and please see the important announcement slide if you are wondering whether your student is eligible ⬇️

07/31/2026

Last night we hosted our annual Etiquette presentation and dinner for students in the My Brothers and My Sisters With Purpose program, led by Ms. Cynthia P. Stitt, and hosted weekly at the Erwin Center ✨

Each year Jaycee volunteers host a presentation focused on preparing students for success as they return to the classroom, prepare for college/scholarship applications, or as they prepare for their transition into the workforce 📈

While we hope our contributions are impactful, we must truly pass our gratitude and praise to Ms. Cynthia who pours so much time and effort into the students, with a true focus of turning them into confident, respectful, and ambitious students and people 💫

Because of their hard work and the respect they give us each year, we are honored to also partner with them for our annual Back-2-School shopping event, hosted this Sunday (see disclaimer below)

We had the chance to break some incredible news to them last night thanks to the generosity of our Distinguished Service Awards sponsors and guests, so stay tuned as we make the announcement public later today! 👀

🚨DISCLAIMER: The event is only for students who have been actively enrolled in the program over the last year, based on the roster we’ve received 🚨

07/29/2026

Thank you to our incredible partners who help us create an incredible atmosphere for the Distinguished Service Awards, the Gaston Country Club and Noble Artistry (Venue & Florist) ✨

We have been very fortunate to host our event at the Country Club for many, many years, and more recently we have been blessed to partner with Noble Artistry, who not only makes the incredible floral centerpieces, but also helps us set them up!

While there are many partners who help make this night special, it is safe to say the celebration would not be the same anywhere else!

Check out their pages for more information, and book them if you also want an incredible experience!

07/28/2026

Over the coming days we will start sharing pictures from last week’s Distinguished Service Awards, but first we must reflect on the people who made it happen ⭐️

For 87 years young professionals in Gaston County have come together as Jaycees under a common creed, best highlighted by the segment “Service to Humanity is the Greatest Gift of Life.” For 76 of those years the same young professionals have designated one evening annually to celebrate the public safety professionals, educators/students, and the entrepreneurs who demonstrate outstanding professional success and civic service to Gaston County - called the Distinguished Service Awards ✨

Today we take a moment to reflect on all the Jaycees who have contributed to this event, and helped turn it into one of Gaston County’s longest running traditions and highest honors.

From planning behind the scenes, contacting local leadership and award recipients, securing donations, giving speeches, helping with check in and the raffle, there are so many components necessary to make this event a success, and this year we are proud to say we had so many Jaycees to help fill those roles.

We are honored to maintain the tradition and legacy, and we are proud to share that the success of this year’s event and the support from the community will allow us to continue serving Gaston County long into the future! 💫

Drop a thank you to all the Jaycees who made this year’s Distinguished Service Awards a success, and stay tuned for photos of our award winners, presenters, and the rest of the evening coming soon! 👀

07/23/2026

We must take a moment to thank and congratulate fellow Jaycee, Kendrick McDowell, who was recognized at the City of Gastonia’s recent City Council meeting! ⭐️

Kendrick has proudly served on the Recreation Advisory Commission for the past 4 years where his dedication, leadership, and volunteer service has made an immense impact to all citizens and visitors of Gastonia.

Alongside his service on the Commission, Kendrick has also served as the 85th Gaston County Jaycees President, the West Regional Director for the North Carolina Jaycees, and if we kept typing out the list of other volunteer commitment Kendrick has made - this post would go over Facebook’s character limit!

Alongside his incredible service, Kendrick is one of the most valued members of our chapter for his incredible personality, positive attitude, and a perseverance that is truly remarkable and well respected amongst fellow members 🫂

Take a moment to thank and congratulate Kendrick for his service and recognition below!

07/23/2026

Our final thank you for this year's Distinguished Service Awards goes to our Premier Sponsor, the W. Duke Kimbrell Family Foundation! ⭐️

The W. Duke Kimbrell Family Foundation was our largest sponsor for this year's Distinguished Service Awards, and without their support, the event would not have the same impact or legacy that we have been blessed to maintain for 76 years and counting.

The Foundation, created in 2005 to honor one of Gaston's greatest entrepreneurs and philanthropists, W. Duke Kimbrell, is one of the largest charitable organizations based here in Gaston County.

Their charitable giving has supported an endless number of projects in our community, many of which are so grand in scale it would be impossible to fairly list them, without excluding so many impactful and beneficial projects that the Foundation has contributed to over their many years of giving.

Alongside their charitable endeavors, the Family Foundation also allows us to provide our highest honor, the W. Duke Kimbrell Civic Acheivement Award, given to an individual who honors and represents the professional excellence, civic service, and philanthropic giving that Mr. Kimbrell embodied throughout his life in Gaston County.

Again, without their support our annual Distinguished Service Awards would look much different, and we are blessed to have their consistent annual support which allows us to celebrate all the deserving recipients, each and every year! 🌟

So please take a moment to thank the W. Duke Kimbrell Family Foundation for their immense support, and stay tuned for our official event photos coming soon!

07/22/2026

As we begin to reflect on the incredible celebration that was last night's Distinguished Service Awards, we must first take a moment to express our true gratitude to the members of this year's Planning Committee ⭐️

Each member pictured has volunteered and dedicated so much of their personal time to making this year's event a success, and we are proud to say that last night was both an immense success and a beautiful celebration for all in attendance!

So a thank you is in order to:

Dr. Brady Kirsch with Belmont Eye, Lyndi Jenkins with R.J. Schrift Private Asset Management, and Nate Bragg with Bluestone Financial Advisors for their support of our fundraising and sponsorship efforts 🌟

Maddie Moore with the Gaston County Public Library for coordinating our decorations and floral arrangements (who is also celebrating a birthday today! 🎉)

Paige Jones Murphy with Tindol Ford & Subaru who coordinated and communicated with all award recipients, presenters, and the nominators who were with us last night ⭐️

Nancy Giffin Cabral, the Co-Chair of the event, and coordinator for all volunteers, speakers, and members who attended last night ⭐️

And Elizabeth Johnson, the Chair of the Committee who oversaw and organized all aspects of event planning, and who's past experience was instrumental in carrying out another incredible celebration for our 76th year 💫

Again, a huge thank you to every member on our Planning Committee, every member who volunteered, and to all those who attended, supported, and celebrated our event!

Stay tuned for official photos from the event, as we continue highlighting the incredible recipients of this year's Distinguished Service Awards!

07/21/2026

And now it is time for final award presentation, announcing the recipient of this year’s W. Duke Kimbrell Civic Acheivememt Award, John McGill! ⭐️🏆

John McGill is a nationally recognized tax attorney, former CPA, and the founder of McGill & Lyon Dental Advisors, where he spent more than four decades helping dentists and specialists achieve financial success, build wealth, and confidently transition into retirement. Throughout his career, John has been driven by a passion for educating and empowering others, earning a reputation as one of the nation's leading advisors to the dental profession.

While John's professional accomplishments are significant, his greatest impact extends far beyond his career. A lifelong servant leader, he has dedicated countless hours to strengthening his community through leadership, fundraising, and volunteer service. His involvement has included serving on the boards of the Community Foundation of Gaston County, Smile for a Lifetime, and EduCleft, while leading major fundraising initiatives for the YMCA and Habitat for Humanity. An Eagle Scout himself, John is also a passionate supporter of the Piedmont Council Boy Scouts, reflecting his long-standing commitment to developing future leaders. Most recently, he was recognized with the North Carolina Main Street Award for his leadership in revitalizing downtown Kings Mountain 🌟

Though officially retired from leading his firm, John remains actively involved as Co-Editor of The McGill & Lyon Dental Advisory and continues to dedicate his time, talents, and leadership to serving others. His unwavering commitment to mentorship, philanthropy, and community service has made a lasting impact on countless individuals throughout Gaston County and beyond 💫

The W. Duke Kimbrell Civic Acheivement Award, named after Gaston legend Duke Kimbrell, is awarded annually to an entrepreneur that has demonstrated a lifetime of professional excellence and civic service to Gaston County, which is depicted immensely through the life and impact John has had within our communities.

Tonight, we celebrate John alongside the public safety, teacher, student, and “5 Under 40” awards, and we cannot wait to share photos of the evening!