William W. “Deacon” Balliew’s work is well known in Gordon County, Georgia, and for that matter, throughout much of the world. Deacon has visited foreign countries carrying the message of the Winners Club to organizations interested in The Winners Club concept. He has been the recipient of many awards, at the local, state and national levels. He has been the recognized by three United States Presidents, including an invitation by President Jimmy Carter for his group to visit the White House.
But even though it is impossible to separate Deacon’s name from the stories in this book, the book is not about Deacon, and he has been adamant about that. It is about people—children and adults—who have made amazing changes, who met unbelievable challenges and overcame them, because they were loved and accepted, and had the will to succeed.
Deacon’s conviction is that “God doesn’t make mistakes,” that everyone can be a winner at something. Over the years, more than 600 of life’s castaways achieved things nobody else thought they could do because of physical and mental disadvantage or as victims of life’s cruelest traumas.
- Lee Walburn
Atlanta Magazine
Welcome to The Winner’s Club, which Deacon calls a “place of dreams.” Here he, in his very special way, can indeed light a candle in the darkness of the mind.
- Roy Exum
The Chattanooga News-Free Press
