Hundreds of Boys Town alumni from all over the country reunite in Omaha to celebrate 100th anniversary.
This story is written by Chinh Doan, KETV Anchor/Reporter. It was posted on ketv.com on July 14, 2017.
Hundreds of alumni from all over the country are in Omaha this week for a once-in-a-lifetime celebration.
Alumni said it's a family reunion and a reminder of the impact Boys Town continues to make on countless lives.
Mike Silvers and John Silvers are brothers and Boys Town graduates from the 1970s who traveled to Omaha from out of state to participate in the anniversary festivities.
John Mollison, Boys Town alumni director and class of 1964 graduate, has spent months organizing the week's events for former students and their families.
Mollison said it's a homecoming honoring 100 years of caring for America's children and families.
"It worked for me and my generation and it's working for today's kids and their generation," said Mollison.
He said the alumni and current students will always share a special bond.
"Boys Town is a place where anybody can be successful and come from any type of background, from anywhere around the world, and become who they want to be because they have people here who care about them," said 17-year-old Jason Landin, a current student and mayor of the Village of Boys Town.
Both staff and students said the legacy of its founder, Father Edward Flanagan, lives on through social change and a focus on quality care and preventative programs.
"We've taken the technology of helping kids outside their home and placed it in front of millions of America's homes through the internet, through our 800-number and our parent training and even an intervention called 'in-home services,' where we really are one-on-one mentoring a troubled family so that the child can stay at home and be successful and live their dream," said Rev. Steven Boes, Boys Town's fifth executive director.
Mollison told KETV NewsWatch 7 the oldest alum present at the celebration is 100 years old, which is pretty fitting for the anniversary.
For more information on the centennial anniversary, visit its website.
