One long-time principal got a surprise Monday evening during the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Pee Dee Area Board of Directors annual meeting.

North Vista Elementary School Principal Sharon Dixon came to the Florence Club to speak to the Board but received a prestigious honor, The Frankie Award, for her decades of dedication to children instead. The award honors the late Frank Avent, a long-term board member and generous supporter who demonstrated to board and staff how to give to the community by serving others who need us the most.

“She has dedicated her career to creating a safe nurturing spaces for students to learn grow and believe in themselves,” said Mike Woods, Boys & Girls Clubs Director of Program Development & Evaluations. “Her kindness, patience, and unwavering commitment to children has left a lasting impact not only on students but on families, colleagues, and the community.”

Dixon, the longest serving principal in Florence 1 Schools, has served as principal at North Vista for 29 years of her 39-year career in education.

A fierce advocate for Boys & Girls Clubs, Dixon has walked students from the elementary school two blocks to the Florence Club nearly every day afterschool. Club staff greet her and the trail of children at the corner connecting the school and Club.

“Boys & Girls Club is an investment that pays dividends forever,” she said. “The true grade for our community won’t be seen on a report card this year. It will be seen in 10, 15, 20 years from now in the strength of our local economy, the safety of our streets, and the successes of the next generation of Florence, South Carolina, parents.”

She said she believes this partnership is central to raising capable, confident, and educated citizens in our community.

“The reality is we are working together to close the opportunity gap, and the Boys & Girls Club is a great equalizer,” Dixon said. “You focus on the joy of learning in different ways. The Club reminds children that learning is not just a test.”

Past Frankie Award winners include 2017 George Brown; 2018 Buddy Brand; 2020 Patricia Singleton Parr, Jimmy Sandifer; 2023 Ellen Pearson, Richard Harrington; 2024 Dr. Laura Hickson, Phil Stephenson; and 2025 Bill Query.

In other business, the board recognized board members with 10 years of service, Patricia Parr and Jeff Stevens; 20 years of service, Erik Marechal; and 30 years of service, Richard Harrington.

The board installed new members, the Rev. Jonathan Greene of Mt. Zion AME Church, Erika James of James Futures (McDonalds), Barbara Merrill of South Carolina Federal Credit Union, and Alexis Smith of State Farm in Lake City.

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Pee Dee Area have been serving youth ages 6-18 for more than 60 years. Today, we operate seven club sites in Florence, Hartsville, Hemingway, Johnsonville, Lake City, Pamplico, and Timmonsville with more than 700 kids passing through our doors each day.

Our mission is to inspire and enable all youth, from throughout the Pee Dee area, especially those that need us most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens. Clubs fill the gap between school and home with a welcoming, positive environment in which kids and teens have fun, participate in life-changing programs, and build supportive relationships with peers and caring adults. Using nationally recognized, evidence-based programming, our priority outcomes include

• Academic Success: Graduating from high school ready for college, trade school, military, or employment
• Good Character & Leadership: Being an engaged citizen involved in the community, registered to vote, and modeling good character
• Healthy Lifestyles: Adopting a healthy diet, practicing healthy lifestyle choices, and making a lifelong commitment to fitness.

For more information, visit www.BGCPDA.org or follow us @bgcpeedee on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.