NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT
‘Radiate Positivity!’ Right, Zoey Boukedes is the inspiration and positivity behind Yay!DAY. Above, Yay!DAY club members from Hough High School mentor younger students in how to stay positive. Above, YayDAY! volunteers spread a positive message to J.V. Washam Elementary School students.
Spreading good vibes with Yay!DAY by Lori Helms | photography by Firstname Lastname
Marketing and advertising geniuses will tell you that to connect with your intended audience, to truly grab them, you need an effective tag line. Those creatives are typically paid top dollar to come up with something spot-on and simple that sticks. I guess the joke’s on them. Sometimes all you need to do is sit and listen to a little kid with big ideas, just like Cornelius resident Chris Boukedes did several years ago with his young daughter, Zoey.
Four years later, Yay!DAY is now a recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization which has raised more than $100,000. Through the Yay!DAY club she established at Hough High School in Cornelius, Zoey is using those funds to commit to annual scholarships over the next four years for graduating seniors who perform not only community service but have shown to commit to a positive lifestyle and maintain a positive attitude in the community.
“She had some situations at school, watching friends getting bullied,” he says. “We were having dinner, and she said, ‘I just want to help them.’ So, I told her to keep talking.” Turns out, that was some serendipitous advice. What began as casual dinnertime conversation became the genesis of a now popular movement started by a 12-yearold’s best intentions.
“It’s just amazing to watch a young mind that just wants to do the right thing,” says her proud dad, Chris.
And just like that, Yay!DAY and its “Radiate Positivity!” tag line were born. Zoey wanted not just her schoolmates but the community to focus on one day – Yay!DAY – when everything is just positive, or as she put it to her father, “You just say ‘yay!’ no matter what happens.” To hear her dad explain it, it didn’t take much for the movement to catch on. “All we did was put out a few posts on social media,” he says, adding that at first Zoey had picked Oct. 30 to be the inaugural Yay!DAY. “We created a T-shirt, and the next thing you know, she got a lot of interest from family and friends and raised about $8,000 in merchandise sales.” 26
LAKE NORMAN CURRENTS | APRIL 2024
There have been a series of successful fundraisers over the last few years, and there is a significant one coming up. On Thursday, April 25, celebrity comedian Preacher Lawson will perform at the Cain Center for the Arts in Cornelius. Tickets are $35 and doors open at 6 p.m. Proceeds from the event will benefit the educational, leadership and scholarship programs of the Yay!DAY foundation. “When I started Yay!DAY, it started as a custom T-shirt my mom had made me and a Facebook post,” Zoey says. “Since starting Yay!DAY, we have been able to spread our message throughout Lake Norman and encourage people to utilize a positive mindset. One of my main goals for Yay!DAY is to help kids learn at an early age that a positive attitude can be helpful and impactful in everyday life.”
Learn how to help make every day a Yay!DAY by visiting www.yaydaylife.com or follow the foundation on Facebook and Instagram.