This week, the entire team at the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Austin Area (BGCAA) suffered a great loss when they learned that Ms. Ara Duke – an interventionist at IDEA Rundberg and BGCAA’s primary school liaison for the Boys & Girls Club at IDEA Rundberg – was the victim of a senseless and tragic shooting to occur at the Juneteenth Celebration in Round Rock, Texas on Saturday night.
The other victim was Lindsey Vicknair, a mother of three, including a youth member of BGCAA.
During her time at IDEA Rundberg, Ms. Duke contributed immensely to BGCAA’s mission to help young people build great futures and become caring and responsible citizens, regardless of the odds against them.
As a staff interventionist at IDEA Rundberg, Ms. Duke worked closely with BGCAA staff to connect students from IDEA to BGC resources and support systems. She was a fierce champion for our youth and the BGC mission.
BGCAA CEO Zenae Campbell offered the following statement in honor of both Ms. Duke and Ms. Vicknair:
“Words cannot express our grief, sadness, and outrage at the loss of our dear friend Ara Duke. She was a kind, loving woman who dedicated her life to helping youth in our community. She always went above and beyond to ensure that students at IDEA Rundberg had the resources they needed to thrive in the world. We are all devastated by this loss, and we send our sincere condolences to her family and friends. As we mourn Ms. Ara as a community, we will remember her enthusiasm and love for our youth and honor the legacy that she leaves behind. She was an example for us all of how caring citizens can have a big impact on our world.
We would also like to extend our deep sympathy to the friends and family of Lindsey Vicknair, mother of one of our Club kids. This senseless violence has cost them all so much. We are here for our youth and our entire community, and we will dedicate ourselves to providing support when and where needed in the wake of this terrible loss.”
The Boys & Girls Club at IDEA Rundberg is closed for the summer, and it will reopen at the start of the school year. BGCAA is providing mental health professionals and resources internally to all staff impacted by these losses.
Ms. Duke’s family has requested that in lieu of flowers people consider making a donation to BGCAA in her honor with a note that says “In Memory of Ara Duke”: https://www.bgcaustin.org/donate/.