June 2021
In the News
Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson Club Members
Awarded $15,000 in Live Màs Scholarships Through
Locally-Owned Taco Bell and the Taco Bell Foundation
Taco Bell Foundation Live Más Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson scholarship recipients Eddie Loya, Anycia Alarcon and Aldolfo Loya with Roy Drachman Clubhouse Club Director Julia Tenen, VP Fund Development Jill Long, Director of Clubhouse Operations Julie Trujillo, Board President Julie Butcher and Local Taco Bell Owner Todd Bisbocci.
Taco Bell Foundation selected 725 employees and young people nationally to receive $7 million in Live Màs Scholarships through a competitive video application process - 12 scholarships were awarded in Tucson and Sierra Vista totaling $90,000; three of those winners are local Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson (BGCT) Club members Anycia Alarcon of the Steve Daru Clubhouse, Adolfo Loya and Eddie Loya both of the Roy Drachman Clubhouse.
 
“We are so excited to congratulate these three amazing Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson members for winning Live Más Scholarships. All three of these teens demonstrate the ways focus and persistence lead to achieving goals. Locally-owned Taco Bell (TacoBocci) and Taco Bell Foundation are amazing partners and their commitment to supporting young people with achieving great futures inspires us,” said Karin Malbrough, Vice President of Programs and Operations at Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson. To see KVOA coverage of the check presentation, click here.

About the BGCT's Scholarship Recipients
Anycia Alarcon, Award Amount $5,000 
Anycia is a recent graduate of Tucson International Academy, Anycia is a long-time Steve Daru Clubhouse member and is the 2021 Mark Irvin City of Tucson Youth of the Year. Over the past seven years, she has participated in numerous Clubhouse programs. Her favorite activity is volunteering, and Anycia has completed an outstanding 500 hours of community volunteer service in the last year. This fall Anycia will attend Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts and aspires to be a neuropsychologist/ neurosurgeon.
Adolfo Loya, Award Amount $5,000
Adolfo, a graduate of Sunnyside High School, is interested in studying business at the University of Arizona or Pima Community College. He is also exploring the opportunity of enlisting in the United States Air Force. He is a long-time member of the Roy Drachman Clubhouse. For the past nine years, he has actively participated in Clubhouse sports including both indoor soccer and basketball teams. His favorite memories during his years at the Clubs come from hiking and camping trips as part of the Parks in Focus program. Through his participation in the Parks in Focus, he was able to camp in Flagstaff and Sedona, the Chiricahua’s, and even experience rafting on a trip to the Grand Canyon.
Eddie Loya, Award Amount $5,000
Eddie, an incoming junior at Sunnyside High School, is a devoted student with a 3.98 GPA. He is a long-time member of the Roy Drachman Boys & Girls Clubhouse. Over the past eight years, he has participated in a multitude of programs, including Money Matters, Clubhouse Internship Academy (CIA), Cooking Club, and Parks in Focus. Because of his talent, Eddie was selected as one of six Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson youth to help record videos for the Parks in Focus program, where he got to practice his public speaking and videography skills. One his greatest assets is his confidence and willingness to try new activities. Eddie also enjoys sports and has played on the Clubhouse soccer and basketball teams for the past six years. Eddie plans on majoring in architecture at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University when he graduates high school.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson Welcomes New Board Members
Deona Bien is the Division Director Women and Children Services at Tucson Medical Center. Deona joined Tucson Medial Center Team in 2018. Previously having worked for East Cooper Medical Center Mount in Pleasant, SC and Trident Health in Charleston, SC. Deona has over 28 years working in the Medical field, she holds a Master’s Degree in Applied Science for Executive Leadership in Nursing.
 
Deona is a Certified Lactation Counselor through the Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice, a Neonatal Resuscitation Instructor through American Academy of Pediatrics, a Centricity Perinatal Master Trainer, Six Sigma Greenbelt and TeamSTEPPS Master Trainer through AHRQ.
 
Deona has served on numerous board and associations such as American Nurses Association, KidsandCars.org, Association for Women’s Health, Obstetrics, March of Dimes, Safe Kids Trident Area, Pima County Child Abuse Prevention Council, Tucson Postpartum Depression Coalition and Neonatal Nursing, just to name a few.

Sheriff Chris Nanos was born and raised in El Paso, Texas. Before becoming a law enforcement officer he attended the University of Texas - El Paso, majoring in Public Administration/Criminal Justice. 

Sheriff Nanos began his career in law enforcement in 1976 with the El Paso Police Department. He became a member of the Pima County Sheriff's Department in 1984 as a corrections officer and was promoted to deputy the following year, which began the upward trajectory his career would continue to follow.

Throughout his career Sheriff Nanos has maintained a strong emphasis on his work in Criminal Investigations, particularly Violent Crimes, Sex Crimes, and Narcotics Interdiction. This dedication to his work has allowed him to move up the ranks within PCSD, previously serving as Chief Deputy and appointed Sheriff. In 2020, Sheriff Nanos was elected as Sheriff and returned to the department ready to serve the community. He is responsible for a multi-million dollar budget and a department comprised of nearly 1500 highly qualified, trained, and committed employees complemented by over 400 volunteers who provide support throughout the organization. Sheriff Nanos is supported by his wife of 36 years, Charlene.

Maritza Ramos began her career at UPS in the fall of 1999 as a part time employee. She graduated from NAU with a degree in Psychology and a minor in Sociology. She is currently working as a Corporate Community Relations Manager. Her area’s include; Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Kansas. 

Maritza has consistently promoted Community Events and Employee Engagement within Southern AZ by coordinating events and volunteering in addition to her professional responsibilities. She is a coordinator for Road Code for Southern AZ Boys and Girls Club. A longtime United Way Coordinator, Maritza organized annual golf tournaments raising funds for United Way of Tucson and Southern AZ for from 2007 to 2017. Maritza also volunteers and helps raise money for Honor Flight of Southern AZ and Casey Family Programs (K.A.R.E.). 
Maritza is a UPS Government Outreach Coordinator for AZ, NM, CO, and UT and oversees 31 UPS Ambassadors. 

Maritza resides in Tucson, Arizona. She spends her weekends golfing, volunteering, walking her rescue dogs, and spending time with friends and family.  
Debbie Wagner joined Arizona Lotus as General Manager in March of 2021. Most recently she served as CEO for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson for five years. She served 18 years as a BGCT Board Member, and was Board President in 2016. Prior to that Debbie had a 30+ year media career as Market President for iHeart Media in Tucson and San Diego.
 
Committed to her community and industry, Debbie has had a long history of non-profit board leadership and community outreach. In addition to BGCT, she has served on the Board of Directors of Pima Community College, Tucson Medical Center Foundation, Tucson Ad Club, the San Diego Boards of the YMCA, Junior Achievement, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Holiday Bowl Committee and as a Board Member and President of the Arizona Broadcasters Association and VP of the San Diego Radio Broadcasters Association.
 
Debbie’s Professional Recognition includes receiving the 2007 Tucson Ad Federation Professional of the Year Award, selected as a 2007 Women of Influence by Inside Tucson Business and named one of the 2011 San Diego Women Who Move the City and 2012 Radio Ink Most Influential Women.
 
Debbie is married to her husband David Shropshire and enjoys having both her grown children Hayley and Eric and grandson Cielo living in Tucson and is a University of Arizona Alum.

The Clubs Announce New Associate Board Member
Bianca Lowe is new to Tucson, she recently relocated from South Africa where she enjoyed a successful career spanning twenty years in Property Development. The American dream awoke Bianca's entrepreneurial spirit; she recently opened her own company specializing in home organizational and design services.   

Bianca has a great sense of community and is passionate about the growth and well-being of children. She aspires to encourage the youth to confront their fears, break down their barriers, unshackle their creativity and reach for the stars.
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In the Clubs
Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson Clubhouses and Members Take Part in
Celebrating 80th National Boys & Girls Club Week
For 80 years, Boys & Girls Clubs across the country have celebrated National Boys & Girls Club Week by recognizing the high impact services and opportunities Clubs bring to communities.

As part of the week, some 4,700 Boys & Girls Clubs across America and on U.S. military installations worldwide hosted week-long celebrations featuring the many ways that the Clubs are doing whatever it takes to help youth stay on track as the nation begins to recover from the COVID-19 crisis. Many of the week’s celebrations focused on the organization's ability to provide safe places, academic support, workforce readiness, and health and wellness programs.
 
This year, National Boys & Girls Club Week was celebrated June 21-25. Locally, all six Clubhouses implemented special activities and programs for their Club members - members enjoyed: constructing Lego robots and experimenting in some friendly competitions, Clubhouse trivia games and escape room challenges, career exploration activities, as well as fine art programming through HeART Works, yoga, mindfulness and breathing exercises just to name a few.

“Day in and day out, our Boys & Girls Club staff deliver quality experiences that make a difference in a youth’s life beyond their time at the Club. Research shows that kids attend their local Boys & Girls Club on a regular basis are also more likely to have positive self-esteem, volunteer, and be engaged in school,” said Karin Malbrough, Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson Vice President of Programs and Operations. “National Boys & Girls Club Week is a special time when we celebrate the amazing impact Clubs have on the lives of kids and teens.”
Below Clubhouses and members report on all the FUN at Camp and
National Boys & Girls Clubs Week!
LEGO Robotics at the FEM Clubhouse have been the best part of our weekly programming. All of our kids, with all of their different interests; love rotating into the Program Center for LEGO Robotics! The problem solving aspect of building and then coding our LEGO robots has captivated all of our kids! Each week we have competitions to see which team can make it through our obstacle courses the fastest!
 
Hamzah A. (age 14): Loves doing LEGO robotics! He asks every week if he can stay in the Program Center a little longer so he can finish coding the robot. It has not been easy learning to code the LEGO robots! Hamzah has improved his coding skills through trial and error and paying attention to the details. The kids would call the coding of the robots as “Big Brain Time” because you have to figure out how many rotations it takes to make a perfect right turn, or how much time to allow the robot to move straight through the maze without
SNAP Circuits: Light has opened a new door to the amazing world of STEM! When we think of STEM, everyone thinks of science experiments, chemical reactions, robots and computers; but we somehow overlook the awesomeness and beauty of light and electricity! SNAP Circuits: Light lets us get creative in making light shows! SNAP Circuits: Light is captivating yet easy to learn for our rookies, juniors and teens!
 
Jude O. (age 7): On SNAP Circuit Tuesdays Jude can’t wait to get into the art room so he can complete new SNAP Circuit projects! Following the guided lessons, Jude is able to complete a light show project using every piece in the SNAP Circuit kit! This included a flying saucer and a light show that dances to music!
Boys & Girls Club Week is the week where we get to showcase our clubhouse, our kids and everything that we are doing to build great futures!
 
Boys & Girls Clubs are not day cares or just after school programs, we are safe places for our kids, we are 2nd homes and 2nd families to so many. We are a place where kids can reach for the stars and get support from staff in achieving their goals. We are a place where kids can learn life skills to be productive and successful members of society. We are a place where our high yield learning activities are FUN with a purpose. At Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson we do #WhateverItTakes to help build resilient, successful and kind future leaders!
Gratitude and Appreciation
We'd like to take this opportunity to thank those in the community that have stepped up and supported us in serving our mission with COVID-19 relief funds, programmatic grants and special gifts over the last month. We can't do it without you!
  • African America Legacy Fund 
  • Fred & Christina Armstrong Foundation
  • Tami Arthur – Massage in the Pines
  • Bank of America 
  • Bank of the West 
  • Comcast 
  • Crest Insurance Group
  • Desert Diamond Casino 
  • Gadabout SalonSpas
  • Kendra Scott
  • Alan & Jan Kivel
  • Lerner & Rowe Gives Back 
  • Long Realty Cares Foundation 
  • Mary & Eric Linsalata with the Russell D. Garrett Foundation
  • Nicholas Genematas Foundation 
  • Nova Home Loans 
  • O’Rielly Chevrolet
  • Panda Cares
  • Raytheon 
  • Rusing Lopez & Lizardi LLC
  • SW Gas 
  • TacoBocci
  • Taco Bell Foundation
  • TMC for Children 
  • Sue & John Tully
  • Terri & Jim Zarling
Support the Clubs
2021 HEROES
~ In Lieu of The EVENT 2021
These annual "THE EVENT" Sponsors have answered the Call and are Our HEROES!

Their continued support is bridging gaps, providing safe spaces, and empowering kids to imagine and achieve their goals this summer!
Thank you to Our 2021 HEROES
Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson (BGCT) know that this summer especially, making memories while having fun in an engaging environment with positive adult role models is more important than ever before. This school year has been tough for youth, missing out on vital Social Emotional Learning they typically get in a classroom. Significant learning gaps have widened, and for many of Tucson’s most vulnerable youth, futures hang in the balance.

Heroes come in many forms. By answering the call during this time, you will ensure that great futures continue this summer and beyond for youth.

Dedicated BGCT staff are gearing up to offer a safe and memorable Summer Day Camp experience filled with six weeks of enriching activities focused on reading, STEM, the arts, music, dance, sports, and recreation for youth ages 7-17.
 
BGCT is committed to prioritizing community health and the safety of every Clubhouse member and staff. Program activi- ties are COVID-adapted, and CDC and Pima County Health department protocols will continue to be closely followed.
 
Our goal is to always keep summer camp accessible to the vulnerable youth who need it the most. We only charge $60 to participate in the whole program, but the true cost is $680 per child. A majority of our Club members receive their memberships through scholarships made possible through donors like you. Answer the call and give youth in our community the gift of a great summer filled with experiences and memories that will last a lifetime!

DID YOU KNOW? Donations of up to $400 for individuals or $800 for joint filers qualify for a dollar-for-dollar AZ state tax credit! (QCO Code 20282). Consult your tax professional for advice on maximizing your benefits.
Double Your Donation - Will Your Employer Match Your Gift
Many companies have a matching gift program - you make a donation directly to Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson or through your workplace giving program, and your employer will donate the same. CLICK HERE to find out if your employer will match your gift!
Picture of Hope Cards Available for Purchase Online and
at Sparkle Cleaner Stores
Save the Dates
Swing for Kids - Save the Date
Sunday, September 26
Top Golf Tucson
Party with a Purpose - Save the Date
Sunday, November 14th
Blue Tile Campaign
Photos above were taken prior to COVID-19.
The Clubs' Blue Tiles Campaign is an opportunity to make an investment in our community’s youth and to leave a legacy for future generations.

The support and commitment of the entire community is needed for this project to succeed to support the transformational growth of the organization. This growth will include capital improvements at each club, scholarship funds for more youth, an increase in STEAM activities, Workforce Development Programs, and sports.

Blue tiles will hang on front of the Harold Ashton Resource Center at 3155 East Grant Road. Each tile will be engraved with your personal message or tribute. Please consider securing a lasting tribute by purchasing your own blue tile today. To learn more, click the link below or contact Jill Long at 520.730.3369 or jlong@bgctucson.org
Thank You To Our Partners