For more than six decades, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Weld County has helped shape the future of local youth through after-school hours, trusted mentors, and places where young people feel seen and supported.
Founded in 1964 as a single clubhouse behind a tire shop just north of downtown Greeley, the organization has grown into six locations across Weld and Morgan counties, serving nearly 1,000 youth during the school year and more than 1,000 each summer. On any given day, hundreds of young people walk through Club doors for academic support, leadership development, arts programming, athletics, and consistent relationships with adults who show up for them day after day.
At the heart of that work is a clear focus. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Weld County provides comprehensive after-school and summer programming centered on academic success, health and well-being, character and leadership, and life and workforce readiness. As Chief Executive Officer Dave Dixon explains, “When young people thrive, our entire community is stronger.”
Each year, that impact comes into focus during Elegant Night, the Club’s signature gala and one of Weld County’s longest-running nonprofit events. Now in its 44th year, Elegant Night brings together more than 350 community members for an evening that blends celebration with purpose. The formal affair features a curated dinner, a silent auction, and powerful moments that highlight the resilience, leadership, and potential of Club members, including hearing directly from the organization’s Youth of the Year.
“The purpose of Elegant Night has always been to celebrate the collective impact made possible by our staff, supporters, and community,” says Dixon. “It’s a moment to reflect on what’s possible when people come together around young people who need us most.”
The evening also honors individuals whose dedication has helped shape the organization’s success.
This year’s Champions of Youth, Ellie and Lorri Duran, embody that legacy.
Over the years, their involvement with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Weld County has taken many forms, including sustained financial support, long-term board service, leadership during key moments of growth, and hands-on involvement in fundraising efforts. Lorri and Ellie both served eight years on the board of directors, during which time Lorri also chaired the board for two years, returning later for an additional three-year term. Together, Ellie and Lorri also supported the development of the Club’s Teen Center through donated services from their company, Duran Excavating.
But it’s the way they showed up consistently and collaboratively that left a lasting impression.
Board member Marc Shirazi remembers his first Elegant Night as a defining moment.
“When I first joined the board, it was Elegant Night season, our biggest fundraiser of the year,” Shirazi recalls. “I’ll never forget the energy Lorri brought to that event. She had spent months gathering donations and hand-building silent auction baskets, all while making everyone around her feel involved.”
Those efforts weren’t just about presentation. Lorri’s leadership helped maximize the value of the silent auction in a fiscally responsible way, while creating a process that invited others in rather than placing the burden on any one person. Ellie, alongside her, supported the work with the same steady commitment, reinforcing a shared approach rooted in generosity, teamwork, and follow-through.
“Lorri and Ellie have truly set the tone for what it means to be champions of youth,” Shirazi adds. “They support their community, they lead with intention, and they make the work better for everyone involved.”
As Weld County continues to grow, so does the need for organizations that can meet young people where they are and help prepare them for what comes next. In response, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Weld County continues to evolve its programming, including the introduction of its Future Ready initiative, which places a focused emphasis on career exploration, workforce skills, and real-world readiness.
At the same time, a new generation of leaders is beginning to step into involvement earlier by serving on boards, volunteering time, and continuing family traditions of engagement. It’s a natural progression built on the example set by those who came before.
Elegant Night celebrates that continuity. It honors the people who helped build something lasting while quietly pointing toward what’s possible when leadership, generosity, and belief in young people come together year after year.
For Ellie and Lorri Duran, that impact is already woven into the future of Weld County.
“Lorri and Ellie have truly set the tone for what it means to be champions of youth, they support their community, they lead with intention, and they make the work better for everyone involved.”