Boys Town Centennial Commemorative Coins
Coin Description
Gold: Depicts an outstretched hand holding a young oak tree, representing the potential of each child helped by Boys Town to grow into a productive adult.
Silver: Features an oak tree offering shelter and a sense of belonging to the family holding hands below it, which includes the girl from the obverse.
Clad: Depicts a present-day Boys Town neighborhood of homes where children are schooled and nurtured by caring families. Out of these homes come young adults who graduate from high school and the Boys Town program.
Gold: Features a portrait of Father Flanagan.
Silver: Features a young girl sitting alone and gazing upward into the branches of an oak tree looking for help.
Clad: Features a boy holding the hand of his younger brother in 1917. They walk toward the pylon representing what would become Boys Town.
The Story
A young parish priest named Father Edward Flanagan had a theory: Every child could be a productive citizen if given love, a home, an education and a trade. Armed with his belief, and $90 he had borrowed, he rented a boarding house where boys of all races and religions were welcomed.
Father Flanagan’s Home for Boys, or “Boys Town” as it became known, has grown exponentially since its founding in 1917. Today it is one of the largest non-profit organizations in the country, dedicated to serving at-risk children and families of all backgrounds and religions. Through its Boys Town National Hotline, Boys Town National Research Hospital, and other community services, the organization provides treatment for the behavioral, emotional, and physical problems of children and families in 11 regions across the country. Boys Town programs impact the lives of more than two million children and families each year.