Sweet Summertime at the Boys & Girls Clubs

This Month in a Minute... Ms. Elizabeth's Summer Update Destinations Achieves Important Milestone Field Trips, College Tours Broaden Horizons for Our Kids Help the Fellsmere Teens Get to Disney Golf Tournaments to Drive Fundraising for Clubs Tennis Stars Serve Up Fun for Club Members at Mardy Fish Tournament Soccer Season Kicks Off with Success New Fellsmere Club Takes Shape Sunshine Coin Laundry Benefits Boys & Girls Clubs

Summer Update Greetings! Thank you for your support of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Indian River County. We are excited to share with you that we have more than 630 children ages 6-18 enrolled in our Summer Program. Our Clubs in Vero Beach, Sebastian and Fellsmere are filled to capacity, and our dedicated staff is working hard to make sure our Club members are learning and having fun. We already have provided 275 summer program scholarships to Club members, giving the kids who need us most the opportunity to have a life-changing experience at the Club. Every year we are able to provide these scholarships through funds raised during our Angels Dinner. In the articles below, you will read about our summer field trips, new initiatives for teens, athletics programs, and summer learning activities. Our focus, even during summer break, is always to help our members strive for academic success, good character & citizenship, and healthy lifestyles. With your support, we will continue offering a truly exceptional program that impacts the whole child, preparing them for success in school and in life. With Appreciation,

Elizabeth Thomason Executive Director Boys & Girls Clubs of Indian River County

Destinations Program Prepares High School Seniors for Success

Just two days before high school graduation, Club member Anthony exclaimed that he couldn't stop smiling and just wanted to dance. He was sitting next to his friend and fellow Club member, Chris, who was equally giddy. While typically soft spoken, these two teenage boys had every right to be ecstatic. Back in January, neither of them were going to graduate. They were failing their classes and were close to giving up hope. But our Career Counselor, Ms. Laura, thought of a solution. What if we pulled Chris and Anthony out of high school and enrolled them in a career online high school? If they completed the curriculum before the end of the school year, they would be able to walk with their graduating class and receive their diplomas. It sounded like a good strategy, but would it really work? Ms. Laura got the green light from the Indian River County School District to go ahead with the plan, and she met extensively with the boys' parents to secure their buy-in. With most of the administrative work out of the way, now it was up to Chris and Anthony to prove they had what it takes. Every day, they came to the Vero Beach Boys & Girls Club and worked for hours on the online curriculum. They could have slacked off. They could have given up. But the fact that Chris and Anthony finally had someone in their corner kept them going. On May 15th, both boys graduated with their high school class. Chris and Anthony refer to that day as one of the best in their lives. In the week leading up to graduation, everyone could feel the energy and newfound confidence they brought to the Boys & Girls Club. But the journey for Chris and Anthony is far from over. Thanks to the Destinations program, the boys are now focusing on their future. With the help of Ms. Laura, Chris completed his FAFSA form and applied for financial aid. He will attend either Valencia College or Polk State College in the fall. He plans to major in culinary arts. Anthony hopes to serve our country in the United States Army. Ms. Laura helped put him in contact with the local recruiter. Congratulations Chris and Anthony!

Chris (left) and Anthony (right)

While we certainly are proud of Chris and Anthony, we can't forget about our other graduating seniors: Josh, Emily, Marie, and Daniela! Let's see what they are up to:

Daniela is working at the Nike Factory Store in Vero Beach. She was offered the job after our staff connected her with a Nike representative who visited the Club as a guest speaker for the teens. Daniela will attend Indian River State College in the fall and will study to be a physical therapy assistant.

Marie is currently working at McDonald's and also will attend Indian River State College in the fall. She plans to study nursing.

Josh (pictured in the middle) will attend Indian River State College to study music production! Here he is planting trees during a community service project at St. Francis Manor.

Last but not least, Emily will be attending Indian River State College and plans to study dance! In the meantime, she has moved down to Port St. Lucie to live with her dad.

Three Golf Tournaments to Benefit Boys & Girls Clubs It may still be summer, but the early birdie gets the worm! Folks are already signing up for our 18th Annual Golf Tournaments, which will take place this November. To ensure you get a spot this year, we recommend registering as soon as possible. Our Pro Am Tournament is happening Monday, November 4 at John's Island West Country Club. Registration is at 8:00 a.m. and the shotgun start is at 9:00 a.m. The cost is $600 per person and the format is one gross, one net.

Our Amateur Tournament is on Monday, November 11th at a new location: Bent Pine Country Club! We are very excited to offer players a new venue and a few surprises as well. Registration for the Amateur Tournament will be at 11:30 a.m. and the shotgun start will be at 12:30 p.m. The cost is $350 per person and the format is best ball of four, shamble. Finally, our Nine & Shine tournament also will take place on November 11th at Bent Pine Country Club. The event is a nine-hole tournament exclusively for ladies. Registration for the Nine Hole Tournament will be at 8:15 a.m. and the shotgun start will be at 9:00 a.m. The cost is $225 per person and the format is best ball of four, shamble. We are grateful for the hard work of Golf Committee Chairman Trent Leyda and Committee Members: John Campione, John Corbett, Marcy DeWolfe, Sandy Johnson, and Bill Munn.

Did you know you can now sign up for golf or become a sponsor online? Click here and register today! You can also register by contacting Phil at 772-299-7449 or by email .

Field Trips and College Tours Help Club Members Broaden Their Horizons There's no doubt that the Boys & Girls Clubs are a fun place to be during the summer. But we also love providing opportunities for the kids to get off campus and experience the world around them! Research shows that field trips positively influence a child's socio-emotional growth and help them better apply what they learn in school to the real world. So hop on the bus as we take you on a recap of a few of the field trips so far this summer:

Our journey starts in Sebastian on the Indian River Lagoon where Club members went on an eco boat cruise at Captain Hiram's Resort! They learned about ways they can keep the waterways clean and protect the wildlife and teeming ecosystem. Several dolphins were spotted, but they were too quick for us to snap a photo.

Members from all three Clubs traveled north to Melbourne, Florida where they took on several challenging climbing walls. Their endurance and strength may have been tested, but the kids totally rocked it!

Wait...is that the United States Olympic Rowing Team? Nope, it's our very own Club members! For the first time ever, our kids are learning how to row with Vero Beach Rowing. In recent years, rowing at the collegiate level has become an avenue for many students to receive scholarships. It's also a physically-demanding sport that requires incredible teamwork and synchronicity. So far it has been a wonderful experience for the kids. Here they are on the Indian River Lagoon near the Merrill P. Barber Bridge!

The teens have been travelling all over the state of Florida this summer on college tours! So far, they went to the University of Central Florida, Valencia College, Indian River State College, and Florida Atlantic University. And we're not even a month into summer yet! After visiting Valencia College, Club member Chris decided that he wanted to apply there. As of June, he has been accepted, and it is one of his top choices!

College tours and travelling sure can take a lot out of you! Two of the teens took a well-deserved snooze on the drive back.

Help our Teens Get to Walt Disney World!

Our teens at the Boys & Girls Club of Indian River County in Fellsmere are looking to make a little magic happen this summer. Only an hour and a half from Orlando, most of our members don’t have the means to enjoy Disney World, but they hear about it often from their peers. As active members within the community, our Fellsmere teens have volunteered at our local Earth Day Festival, Garden Fest, have participated in beach clean-ups, and so much more! These teens always look for ways to give back to their community, and now they are hoping their community will give back to them. We hope that by allowing our teens to fund-raise to meet their goal, we are providing them with the tools of self-advocacy to realize they can do anything they put their minds to. Our teens are dreamers, just like Walt Disney, and we want them to be able to see what happens when you dedicate yourself to making your dream come true. The teens have created a Go Fund Me Page with the help of our administrative staff. They also filmed their own video below explaining what they would plan to do at Disney. To donate, please click here . Thank you for your support!

Mardy Fish Foundation Serves Up Fun for Club Members at Tennis Championships

Every year, Club members eagerly anticipate attending the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships. It’s a rare chance for them to get up close and personal with some of the biggest names in tennis and learn from athletes who are at the top of their game. This year, the kids got to interview Isaac Stoute of England. They learned about his culture, daily habits and outstanding work ethic. In addition to speaking with the tennis star, the Club members also got to enjoy fun games. The Mardy Fish Children's Foundation supports the Boys & Girls Club Athletics Program, helping to provide 280 children access to numerous team sports, fitness activities, and crucial opportunities to learn about sportsmanship, teamwork and leadership. Thank you Mardy Fish Children's Foundation!

Soccer Season Kicks Off with Success

More than 50 Club members are playing in our World Cup soccer league this summer! With matches happening several times a week, there's never a dull moment on our outdoor soccer fields. The kids are having a blast, getting plenty of exercise, and making friends with peers from our other Club locations. It's a win-win-win! Here are some photos of a recent match at our Vero Beach Club.

Kayla displays some fancy footwork!

Steven tries to split the defenders and get to the goal.

Fellsmere Club members take a break from the action to pose for a team picture and play on the new fitness course at our Vero beach Club!

A mix of soccer players and spectators from our Vero Beach Club! The team from Sebastian won all their games! Here they are with head coach Mr. Brendan (middle).

New Fellsmere Club Is Taking Shape

So much has happened in the past few months with the building of the new Fellsmere Club! The trusses are up and the roof is nearly complete, meaning that we won't have to worry much about weather being an issue as we move into the next phase of providing a state-of-the-art facility for our Club members. Construction is scheduled to be completed by December 2019. Check out the photos below to see how the project is progressing. Also, we would like to thank Captain Kurt Chapman and Eva Chapman from Sebastian for capturing the stellar aerial shots from their powered parachute!

Every new beginning starts with a solid foundation.

It's starting to look a lot like a Club!

Now we're really making progress! The trusses are finished and the roof will be completed by the end of June. Make sure to read the next e-newsletter for further updates.

Sunshine Coin Laundry Benefits Boys & Girls Clubs

Sunshine Coin Laundry is helping to change our Club members' lives with some spare change of its own! From January through March, the laundromat donated proceeds from select washers and dryers to the Clubs. The total came out to be $1,323 raised for Club members. A big thank you to Sunshine Coin Laundry for supporting our kids!

Elizabeth Thomason, Executive Director of BGCIRC and Phil Barnes, Director of Resource Development accepted a check from Co-Owner Tom Rhodes.

See What's Up at the Clubs!

Vero Beach The technology lab is a hub of activity in the summer months. Club members rotate through various stations during their day and the tech lab is always one of their favorite stops! This summer, the Club members in Vero Beach are working on digital arts programs, improving their typing skills and playing games during free time.

Fellsmere To cap off the second week of summer, the Fellsmere Club members had a Nickelodeon slime party! Smiles and laughter could be heard all around the Fellsmere basketball courts as the kids got the chance to "slime the staff" and be slimed themselves. It was a great way to end a week packed full of field trips, summer reading, and sports.

Sebastian The Sebastian Club is hosting a summer of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math)! The kids are doing an array of activities, including learning about the physics of flight while engineering their own model airplanes and exploring pond life through field trips and outdoor excursions.

See How You Can Help

Donate Boys & Girls Clubs of Indian River County is a 501(c)(3) non-profit. We are able to serve 1,500 kids and teen every year, only through the generosity of our local community. If you are interested in providing sustainable support for the Club, helping us ensure our promise, that no child is ever turned away for an inability to pay, please contact Phil at 772-299-7449. You can make a difference in the lives of our members in a variety of ways, including donating supplies, becoming a Business Booster, providing scholarship support, and much more. To make a difference today click here.

Attend Participate in our special events!  Save the Date:  November 4th - Pro Am Golf Tournament November 11th - Amateur and Nine-Hole Golf Tournament March 2nd - 19th Annual Angels Dinner April 24th - Eighth Annual Bridge Tournament

Volunteer We are always seeking tutors, mentors, reading coaches, and caring adults to spend time in one of our three Clubs. Need more information?  Email or call Phil at  772-299-7449.

We appreciate your support! The mission of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Indian River County is to inspire and enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens.

Invest in a Child Today!

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