The Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach proudly hosted their 9th annual Community Partner’s Breakfast on Thursday, April 6th, 2017 at Seven Degrees. Board of Directors President, Phyllis Phillips, expressed the importance of partnership and collaborations and their vital role in helping the Club accomplish the organization’s mission to enable all young people to realize their full potential as healthy, caring and responsible adults. Pamela Estes, Chief Executive Officer, delivered a poignant state of the Club where she addressed several Club initiatives the organization will be focusing on in the upcoming year; also, a recount of the Club’s accomplishments over the past year. Community partners also heard a first-hand Club experience success story from the Club’s Teen Youth of the Year, Savanah Johnson, who credits the Club for putting her on the right path with a promising future.
Kristine Evans received the Community Partner Award for her years of service to the Club. Kristine was an AP English teacher at Dana Point High School and has recently retired. She has been volunteering by working with our grant writer. She is an expert in English grammar and sentence structure, offers an objective eye with a fresh perspective. Since she has volunteered here, our funders have commented on the difference they see in our grants, which are responsible for a significant portion of our $2.6M annual budget. Give a Beat received the Program Partner Award. This awardee perfectly complements the work we do. The Club have the kids and they have the expertise, mindset, and passion and when you put them both together, it’s magic. Give a Beat have been totally supportive of our mission and always have our teens best interest at heart. They teach our members about the industry technology, but more importantly, their overriding goal is to bring people together through music. Our staff and teens think the world of Lauren, Missy, and Trevor.
St. Joseph Health Mission Hospital received the Agency Partner Award. One of the things Pam Estes is most proud of is the relationship the Club has with this awardee. Over the years the Club have partnered with Mission Hospital, they have been able to hone the focus on making the most positive difference possible in the community. First, aligning the Club around the Search Institutes Developmental assets framework, then understanding the power of developmental communities and building networks of connections of kinship, friendship, ideology, and culture. They share a vision, share goals, and share accountability for youth success. DPR Construction Inc. took home the Corporate Partner Award. This awardee has a lot in common with Boys & Girls Club, they both build “Build Brighter Futures” and they’re “Building Great Things.”
Over the last 6 months or so, the Club have developed a close relationship with their team members who have been the catalyst for making a truly (and literally) transformational gift to our Club. Their core values of integrity, enjoyment, uniqueness and ever forward shine through their team members at every level, the work they do, the partners they have, and the difference they are making in communities across the country.
Among recognizing the community’s big supporters, Donnie Crevier approached the podium to present Leif Hanson and Steve Blue this year’s Crevier Legacy Award for their long-term impact on the Club as an outstanding role model for all the Club members and truly embodies the community spirit the Club hopes all their members will someday achieve.
Steve Blue and Leif Hanson started coming to the Boys Club of Laguna Beach when they were around 7 years old. Leif remembers coming for the fun! He loved the games room and the sports. He started playing basketball and Ron Lutz was his coach on the All-Star team which traveled to other Boys Clubs for tournaments. Leif credits the Club for giving him a strong foundation in sports which helped him reach his goals in Volleyball later in life. Steve played “Bitty basketball” at the Club and remembers the games room and the candy the most. He attended the Club throughout his elementary school years until he started playing volleyball with the Laguna Beach Volleyball Club. He has fond memories of playing with his friends at the Club.
These two incredible Club Alumni are giving back to the Club by spearheading an annual “Night at The Ranch” concert event. Their goal is to raise funds for the Club so that all kids can have a positive safe place to go when they are not in school. They also wanted to create a legacy that would sustain itself and continue for generations to come. Leif said, “I wanted to give back to the Club that was there for me as a kid and I also wanted to help the community I grew up in.” Steve said, “I want today’s kids to have the same Club experience that I had when I was growing up.” The Night at The Ranch event has become one of the best events in Laguna Beach today. Leif and Steve are living proof that the Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach makes a positive impact on children’s future.
The Club wants all their members to learn the joy of giving back to others and Leif and Steve exemplify that very philanthropic spirit. They are making sure ALL children have an opportunity to benefit from a Club experience. The Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach’s Community Partners Breakfast started nine years ago by Emeritus BOD President Bob Whalen to recognize the partnerships built between the Club and the Community Leaders that help benefit the 2,000 youths the Club serves on an annual basis. For more information about the 9th Annual Community Partner’s Breakfast, please contact Michelle Ray-Fortezzo at 949-494-2535 x7584, or e-mail at micheller@bgclaguna.org.
The Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach allows their members to learn and play in a variety of activities year-round. Please help the Club continue make these everyday opportunities for their members consistent by donating today www.bgclagunabeach.org.
About The Club
The Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach occupies three sites in Laguna Beach; Canyon Branch, Bluebird Branch, and Lang Branch in South Laguna. Together, they offer a nationally recognized and award winning year round enrichment program that focuses on the whole family. From preschool to parenting classes, The Club offers an array of services that focus on academic success, good character and citizenship, healthy lifestyles and creative expression. Being an indispensible asset to the families of our community is a time-honored tradition. For over 60 years, The Club strives to support this goal through out-of-school recreation that celebrates the whole child. For more information about The Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach, visit: www.bgclagunabeach.org or call (949) 494-2535
Jason Gupta
Resource Development Associate
Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach
