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BGCCF Update | May 11, 2020
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Friends,
We’ve all heard the expression that parents need to provide their children with two things: roots and wings. It’s not so different with us at Boys & Girls Clubs. We put in a lot of foundational work when the children are in our Clubs, always with the hope that when they leave or exit our Blue Doors, they’ll be good citizens of our community.
In this difficult season of our Clubs being closed, it’s been a good opportunity to observe some of our older children, and our Club alums, flying on their own. This week yielded some heartwarming examples:
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One of our Taft Club members, 15-year-old Serenity, has always had a heart for service. From a young age, nurtured by her Service Director Ms. Anna, and her grandmother Koko Karras, Serenity has been determined to give back to the community. Several years ago, she founded “Serenity’s Grace” to provide food and other necessities for the homeless.
This last summer at Boys & Girls Clubs’ National Keystone Conference, Serenity was presented with a $15,000 grant to help expand her charity.
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Since the COVID Crisis began, Serenity and team have been serving up to 175 meals a day to the growing homeless population in downtown Orlando! Koko, while inspired and amazed by her granddaughter, gives a lot of the credit to Boys & Girls Clubs and Ms. Anna. “Thankful for the Taft Boys & Girls Club for helping us raise a loving caring person. The classes she takes reinforce her passions and dreams. Ms. Anna, you and your staff are priceless,” Koko posted to Facebook.
Watch News 6's Lauren Cervantes' touching report on Serenity's mission here.
This being graduation season, we’re also seeing a bumper crop of Club alumni who have completed college and are setting out in the world. Ms. Suzanne, our College Access Consultant, recently heard from two Club alums who are recent grads of Florida A & M.
“Thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping me apply to the many colleges during my senior year of high school. Four years later I am now a proud college graduate of the Florida A&M University, with a major in Environmental Studies with a minor in international relations!” wrote Shaquila Rolle.
Fellow graduate Kendrick Walker wrote “I want to thank you for seeing the potential in me and continuing to support me with helpful guides, tips, as well as all of the scholarships that helped me finance my education…I am forever grateful to you.”
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Friends, with your help, Boys & Girls Clubs will survive this difficult time, and continue to provide our Club members with roots to ground them and wings to soar. If you have ever volunteered at one of our Clubs, donated money, or helped us spread the word, the credit belongs to you as well.
Faithfully yours,
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Gary Cain
President & CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida
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Grateful Hour: A Virtual Live Music Series
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We want to thank the community for the unwavering support during these unprecedented times, so please join us on Thursday, May 14, at 6 pm for the kick-off to our 3-part virtual event series,
Grateful Hour
. There will be family friendly live music from different genres during each event. From the steel drums to pop music, R&B, classic rock and country - trust us when we say, you don’t want to miss out. We will be going live on our Facebook page.
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Part 1 featuring
Ravon "Steely" Rhoden
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Part 2 featuring
Megan Stackpoole
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Part 3 featuring
Rob Seay
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Deepest gratitude to the following generous donors who have already joined our Club Heroes campaign. You are ensuring that our organization, and our families, stay strong through this crisis, and that we will emerge with renewed purpose to create great futures for our Club members!
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Phillip & Jennifer Anderson
Anonymous
Atlantic Culvert Company, Inc.
The Cocoa Rotary Foundation, Inc.
Ray & Lydia DiSanza
Hans & Cay Jacobsen Foundation
Space Coast Realtors Charitable Foundation
Jim & Jonnie Swann
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Brian Baker
Chepenik Financial
The Duke Energy Foundation
Mark & Maureen Filburn – Providence Construction, LLC
GolfNow
Kevin & Denise Habicht
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David & Linda Hughes
Humana
Jonathan Ledden
Office Depot
N. Christine Sylvester
Winter Park Health Foundation
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AIT Engineering
Steve & Patty Appel
David & Lyn Berelsman
Tom & Ann Brooks
Wes & Paula Brumback
Keith & Lila Buescher
Gary & Louise Cain
John & Dede Caron
Derrick Chandler
Jeffrey & Cheryl Chudnow
James & Allison Clark
Vivek & Tejal Desai
Les & Jill Eiserman
Equity Partners, Inc.
Jim & Jennifer Etscorn
FAME Group, Inc.
Robert & Mary Frantz
Dr. Nathan Hill
Graff Holdings
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Kevin R. Hill & Nicholas F. Farinella
Kelly Family Cuidiu Foundation
Steve & Judith Kirby
Paul & Stacey Manos
Kyle Maryanski & Patti Tuey-Maryanski
Steve & Cheryl Miller
Nextera Energy Foundation, Inc
OUC- The Reliable One
Renaissance Charitable Foundation
The Rotary Club of Lake Mary
Russ & Mazie Salerno
Scan Design
Shutts & Bowen LLP
Sidhu Family Foundation Inc.
SIMS Crane & Equipment Co.
Tampa Orlando Pinellas Jewish Foundation, Inc.
The Villages Theater Company
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Steven & Jean Allender
Allender & Allender, P.A.
Jennifer Ashton
Camelot Properties Referral Group, LLC
Nancy Conicella
Phillip C. DeLong
Duke Energy Florida, LLC
Dr. Steven & Suzanne Dukes
Michael & Layne Fess
Cami C. Leech Florio
Lamont & Lynda Garber
Generator Consulting Service, LLC
Clark Keator
Jason & Krista Kirk
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Allison Krueger
Les Choux Company
Beverly Madison
Drew & Paula Madsen
Nathan & Ashley Male
Cheryl Mall
William & Rebecca Manuel
Mike & Marybeth Morsberger
Christopher Pirolo
William & Ann Schooley
Star Distribution Systems
Walmart
Wilhelm Construction
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Charla Albury
Christyne Albury
Jay Baker
Brasfield & Gorrie LLC
Nick Brown
Kathy Burt
Robert & Caroline Buster
Chad & Elizabeth Cain
Bryan Campbell
CCH Marketing & Events, Inc.
Circuit Breaker Sales
Amber Clore
D1 Orlando
Daniel & Sheila DeCiccio
Clara Ewing
Rosanne Firriolo
Stephen Forte
James & Jean Gallaghe
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David Hicks
Russ Hill
Sue Hoeksema
International Title and Escrow Co, LLC
Sarah Johnston
Garrett & Laura Jones
Angie Langley
Diane & John Mahony
Mechanical Dynamics & Analysis
Bruce & Shayla Mount
Charles & Shanda Redding
Ashley & Baron Robertson
Steven & Jennifer Sabga
Fiona Shannon
Phillip Smith
John & Betsey West
Lena & Craig Williams
Libby Wingard
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About Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida
The mission of Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida is to inspire and enable all young people, especially those from disadvantaged circumstances, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens. At our 36 Clubs, we provide a safe and nurturing Club experience every day after school, and all summer long, for more than 16,000 children.
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