More Than 5,000 Events Celebrating Programs That Are Changing Lives of Millions of Youth
       By: Boys & Girls Clubs of America
Posted: 2007-03-25 06:48:47
Boys & Girls Clubs across America and on U.S. military bases overseas will be celebrating National Boys & Girls Club Week March 25-31 by hosting more than 5,000 events to emphasize the mission of the Clubs to their communities. This week has been celebrated for more than 75 years. Clubs invite everyone to come visit the facilities and see first-hand the impact they are making on today's youth.

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"Boys & Girls Clubs play a vital role in many young people's lives," said Roxanne Spillett, president of Boys & Girls Clubs of America. "They offer a safe, positive place for kids to go for guidance and support after school, especially during the crucial hours of 3-7 p.m., when most child-related crime occurs."

Boys & Girls Clubs are unique in the field of child development due to five identifying characteristics. Clubs provide:

-- A safe place to learn and grow,

-- Ongoing relationships with caring, adult professionals,

-- Life-enhancing programs and character development experiences,

-- Hope and opportunity, and

-- Peer, staff and volunteer recognition.

Says Stacey Walker, 19, Boys & Girls Clubs of America's National Youth of the Year, "The Boys & Girls Club provide the tools needed to achieve what is expected -- and beyond."

Clubs celebrate Boys & Girls Club Week in a variety of ways, all with an emphasis on the five core Club program areas: Character & Leadership Development; Education & Career Development; Health & Life Skills; The Arts; and Sports, Fitness & Recreation. For example, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington (D.C.) is hosting such activities as an Arts Extravaganza fair, an essay contest prompting Club members to discuss "Why my Club is special to my family and me," as well as a community service project at a local senior center. The Club's culminating event on March 31 is a Youth for Unity diversity event where over six ethnic traditions will be celebrated with food, dance, music, games, arts and crafts, and prizes.

Other events occurring across the nation include Career Night for teens in Ft. Lauderdale, with various college representatives on hand to talk to the youth about their post-high school education; a free community movie night in Greenfield, Ind.; a "friend-raiser" in Beaumont, Calif., to encourage more youth to join this newly opened Club; and "Kickin' It," a karate class for kids and their parents at a Navy Youth Center in Millington, Tenn.

To learn more about the planned activities in your community, find your local Boys & Girls Club by visiting http://www.bgca.org/clubs or call (404) 487-5700.

About Boys & Girls Clubs of America

Boys & Girls Clubs of America (http://www.bgca.org) comprises a national network of some 4,000 neighborhood-based facilities annually serving more than 4.6 million young people, in all 50 states and on U.S. military bases worldwide. Known as "The Positive Place for Kids," the Clubs provide guidance-oriented character development programs on a daily basis for children 6-18 years old, conducted by a full-time professional staff. Key Boys & Girls Club programs emphasize leadership development, education and career exploration, financial literacy, health and life skills, the arts, sports, fitness and recreation, and family outreach. National headquarters are located in Atlanta.
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