GIVING BACK
Giving Back Is Easy By Paige Farris Chisholm ’87 What started off as a simple DJ gig turned into a much richer experience than two high school seniors could imagine. William Kleinheinz and Graham Pergande run a disc jockey business together called B&B (Bowties and Bass) and work various parties in the Fort Worth area. One of their friends helped them land a job to DJ at Pop’s Garage, a privately owned recreation center geared for youth in the Como area of Tarrant County just two miles from the Texas Christian University campus. They DJ’d on Wednesday evenings for the better part of last year. FWCD parent Gus Bates, creator and founder of Pop’s Garage, hosts about 40 kids from Como on Wednesday nights. The kids are bused in and play all sorts of games, listen to music and hang out. It is a safe place for the kids to have fun and meet students from TCU who have come to help and spend time and mentor the younger kids. About the same time he got the DJ job, Pergande joined former classmate Shelby Butt at Como Middle School to read to students in an afterschool program. He spent time talking to the kids and learned they had a mutual love for sports. One young man in particular caught Pergande’s attention. The boy shared with Pergande that he liked to play sports, especially football, but was waiting to see if his mother could come up with the fee required to participate. When he learned the cost to participate—$15—he was floored. Pergande knew that he and Kleinheinz had to find a way to make a difference. Pergande and Kleinheinz were so touched by the kids at Como Middle School that they wanted to help make their sports dreams an easy reality “Athletics has given us so much, and we wanted these kids to have the same opportunities to play that we have had growing up,” Pergande said. The boys decided to use their DJ proceeds to help these aspiring athletes at Como Middle School. After working DJ jobs at the community center for about eight months,
Graham Pergande ’15 and William Kleinheinz ’15 used proceeds they earned as DJs to help aspiring young athletes at Como Middle School realize their dreams.
Kleinheinz and Pergande were able to set up a fund to allow any Como child the opportunity to play. They were so successful in their fundraising that they were able to sponsor kids in 2014 and set aside money for future fees. They also were able to donate balls, tackling gear, chin straps and mouthpieces. While being able to provide financially was important, Kleinheinz and Pergande also knew they wanted to spend time working with the players. The boys were able to help sponsor four teams, and they attended team practices about once a week to help coach the players. “I’ve learned it’s really easy to give back,” Kleinheinz said. “It doesn’t take anything other than devotion and determination. We are so lucky and grateful for how we have grown up; it only makes sense to give back.” Pergande and Kleinheinz are hopeful that some younger Fort Worth Country Day students will rise to the occasion, take over the business and continue to give back to the Como Community Center and Como Middle School. SUMMER 2015
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