Girls and Boys Town Youth Elect Ashleigh Anikputa of Wayne, Nebraska, as 99th Mayor

Girls and Boys Town
Tuesday, 7 May 2002

More than 400 Girls and Boys Town youth elected Ashleigh Anikputa of Wayne, Neb., as the 99th mayor of the world-famous Village of Boys Town, Neb.

Anikputa, a 17-year-old junior, hopes to serve the children of Girls and Boys Town and the organization in gratitude for the opportunities she has received here.

Anikputa (pronounced ah-na-poo-tah) has been a resident of Girls and Boys Town since 2000. She was named Girls and Boys Town Female Athlete of the year this year and participates in basketball, track, drill team, band and swimming. She plans to attend Midland Lutheran College, majoring in education. She hopes to become a teacher and a volleyball coach. Anikputa's Family-Teachers are Eric and Amy Gross.

She becomes the second consecutive girl to be elected mayor, the first time that has occurred in the organization's history. Anikputa succeeds Amanda Martinez from Mandeville, La.

Benjamin Cooper Sims, 18, of Chicago, Ill., was elected vice mayor. He has been a resident at Girls and Boys Town since 1994. Cooper plays football and basketball. After graduation, he plans on returning to Chicago to attend the Soma Institute to pursue a career as a sports physical therapist. His Family-Teachers are Kevin and Julie Heeb.

Father Edward J. Flanagan conceived the self-government system at the Village of Boys Town in 1926 as a tool for its citizens to build character, citizenship and a sense of community.

The process was made famous in the 1938 Academy Award-winning movie Boys Town, where Mickey Rooney portrayed Whitey Marsh, a young tough who turns his life around and becomes mayor of Boys Town.

Girls and Boys Town, the original Father Flanagan's Boys' Home, is a leader in the treatment and care of at-risk girls and boys. Last year, Girls and Boys Town provided direct care and treatment to more than 35,000 girls and boys at its 18 sites in 15 states and the District of Columbia. In addition, an estimated 1.7 million children and families received direct and indirect assistance through the Girls and Boys Town National Hotline (800-448-3000) and other outreach and training programs. Girls and Boys Town provides a variety of childcare programs to help children, families and caregivers. Additional information about Girls and Boys Town can be found on the Web at http://www.girlsandboystown.org.

For more information, or to contact Girls and Boys Town, see their website at: www.girlsandboystown.org