Whom to watch

Youth group founders Rob and Fran Gamester dive into new year

TOWN 'N COUNTRY -- Rob and Fran Gamester, and their entourage of about 17 teens, are taking the Town 'N Country Youth Council into its third year.

And each year, they say, is better than the last.

"Fran and I are both excited with the results of the various activities, specifically with teens on the teen board," Rob Gamester said. "They're just so creative and exciting to be around."

The Gamesters, whose own children are grown, created the council to figure out resources available for the 12-17 set in Town 'N Country and then to communicate them.

The board's activities have included the Teen Limo Scavenger Hunt, Keep America Beautiful and the National Conference for Communities in Justice Any Town Camp, a weeklong camp for teens.

"We spent the first year learning and regrouping," said Gamester, who has helped the teens do everything from picking up trash on the side of the road to navigating the complicated process of getting grants.

"The goal is to have more places in Town 'N Country for teens to hang," he said.

The teen group is not just about recreation. The youth also get involved in charitable activities. In December they raised money with a car wash to host a party at the Children's Home. And in the spring they will work with the Town 'N Country Park Homeowners Civic Association membership drive.

"We're not the Lone Ranger," Gamester said. "What makes us work are the local institutions like parks and recreation and Keep America Beautiful and businesses."

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