Congratulations to our inspirational and fearless leader, Paul Martinez, for being named one of the Jacksonville Business Journal's 2023 Ultimate CEO's. Paul exemplifies what it means to “lead with purpose.” Every day, he works hard to ensure that young people in our community have an opportunity for a better life and a great future. We want to recognize Paul for this outstanding accomplishment and thank him for his leadership.
Thank you to our 2023 Summer Nights event attendees, sponsors, restaurants, entertainment, auction bidders and donors whose support will help us continue our mission to create great futures for local kids and teens across Northeast Florida!
Guests at Summer Nights presented by 121 Financial Credit Union enjoyed signature dishes from top area restaurants, live music from the Bold City Classics, premium cocktails, silent and live auctions, and a Club member art gallery.
At our 3rd Annual Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida (BGCNF) Employee Recognition Reception, we proudly recognized staff members for their outstanding work and their commitment to providing excellent youth-centered services through our 56 Clubs across Clay, Duval, St. Johns and Alachua counties.
For the first time, we proudly hosted this event at our own Culinary Hall at the Citi Teen Center where appetizers and dinner were prepared by our Culinary Arts team. Congratulations to each staff member and Club recognized for exceeding performance standards, exhibiting youth-centered service excellence, and demonstrating BGCNF Core Values!
Recently, 400 of our Boys & Girls Club members from across Northeast Florida had the exciting opportunity to attend a special movie screening of Disney’s new live action Little Mermaid with complimentary popcorn, drinks and snacks, thanks to youth advocate and McKenzie’s Beaches Club alumni Taylor Richardson.
Also known online as Astronaut Starbright because of her passion to become an astronaut, Taylor’s #TheLittleMermaidChallenge digital fundraising campaign raised more than $45,000 to help fund these movie screenings for young people of color, including members from her hometown Boys & Girls Club in Jacksonville.
During National Boys & Girls Club Week (June 26-30), teen Boys & Girls Club members at our NFL Youth Education Town (YET) Boys & Girls Club benefitted from a day of service from Truist and its national partner, City Year – Care Force.
More than 40 individuals, including executive leaders, staff and volunteers, from Truist’s local Jacksonville offices and branches and City Year’s Care Force division came together to reinvigorate and refresh the Club’s spaces, create resource boxes for Club members at 11 Club locations across Northeast Florida, while also providing financial education curriculum via a gamified simulation for high school students to support their journey to financial independence.
As part of the local celebrations for National Boys & Girls Club Week (June 26 – June 30), Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida (BGCNF) partnered with Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) and Buffalo Wild Wings (BWW) to host a Sports Innovation Field Day for 250 local kids and teens.
This event celebrated the local impact of the national “ALL STARS” youth sports program partnership between BGCA and BWW. Young people from several Boys & Girls Clubs locations across Jacksonville gathered at the NFL YET Boys & Girls Club on Jacksonville’s Northside for a day of sports and outdoor games geared toward keeping kids and teens active and healthy through physical activity and sports programming.
Thank you to Fanatics for gifting thousands of pieces of new, name brand clothing to more than 3,700 of our Boys & Girls Clubs members during Global Day of Service!
During this day of generosity and volunteerism, the Fanatics Bus Tour visited 12 locations, including Boy & Girls Clubs, Edward Waters University and the University of North Florida where the Fanatics team distributed five pieces of clothing to each young person and engaged with our kids and teens through fun activities.
The Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation (CRSF), Group 1001 and the Jacksonville Jaguars unveiled a state-of-the-art Youth Development Park in Jacksonville in collaboration with Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida this morning.
The newly constructed synthetic turf facility is designed to provide Jacksonville's kids and teens with accessible outdoor recreational spaces to learn, play and grow. The Youth Development Park (YDP) will serve as a hub for fostering social development and empowering young individuals in the community.
Funding for the park was provided by Group 1001, Jacksonville Jaguars through the National Football League Foundation, City of Jacksonville, Jumbo Shrimp and Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida. This momentous occasion was marked by a ribbon-cutting ceremony, followed by a sports clinic for local young people.
School may be out across Duval County, but the learning continues at local summer programs. The Ed White Teen Center serves about 60 teens during the summer months.
“People thought I was going to go down the wrong road. They didn’t really see a bright future for me because of how I acted,” Janiya Early, an Ed White High School graduate, said.
That was how her story began, but it is far from how it ended. She was taught her greatest lesson without a textbook: “be the change.”
“The teen center actually helped me put that in motion. It helped me be the change I wanted to be,” Early said. Click to hear more of Janiya’s story!
With graduation season in full swing, we wanted to share inspiring stories of this year's Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida graduating seniors. We are so proud of all our graduating seniors who have shown dedication and perseverance in their academic achievements.
Janiya Early, Ky’sha Bell and Jaylen Nightingale are just a few of many influential examples of academic and personal growth among the teens we serve daily. Click to learn more about each other their inspiring journeys.
Thank you to the talented performers, supportive spectators, volunteers, planning committee and staff who made our 2023 Cheer, Step & Dance Competition such a huge success.
Congratulations to the 2023 Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida Cheer, Step & Dance Champions!
Thank you to the sponsors and participants who made our 5th Annual McKenzie’s Camp Deep Pond Clay Shoot a great success! We had the largest crowd ever for this event with 112 players raising more than $68,000 for McKenzie’s Camp Deep Pond.
Because of your generosity, even more young people will enjoy outdoor adventures and activities that promote confidence, character development and teamwork at McKenzie’s Camp Deep Pond.
David Rountree joined Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida on April 17 as the organization’s Alachua Community Development Manager charged with planning and executing the resource development and marketing plans to further their mission of helping Gainesville young people reach their full potential.
As the Community Development Manager, Rountree will support the development department in six primary areas: board leadership, annual giving, special events, stewardship, marketing and public relations, and administration. These fundraising efforts directly support the after-school and summer youth development programs offered to hundreds of local kids and teens at two Boys & Girls Club locations in Gainesville.
In February, we hosted the Robot Rally at our Citi Teen Center in Springfield, marking the first time we have hosted a qualifying tournament. This event was held in partnership with STEM2 Hub and FIRST LEGO League as an official Northeast Florida Regional Qualifier where 13 Boys & Girls Clubs robotics teams competed with the top team advancing to the FIRST LEGO League Regional Competition.
Congratulations to our Wilkinson Jr. High School Boys & Girls Club Soaring Eagles team for being named the Robot Rally champions and advancing to the LEGO League Regional Competition, where they were one of the top five medalists out of 40 teams!
For alumnus Gary Monahan, Boys & Girls Clubs was a special place where leadership training, mentors and sports combined into abundant opportunities that he would not have experienced otherwise. His baseball dreams also came true when his leadership skills were rewarded with a trip to the home field of the Baltimore Orioles.
Gary’s Club Experience began when his parents were looking for after-school care that offered their son a safe environment to learn, grow and have fun. From fifth to eighth grade, Boys & Girls Clubs of Collier County in Naples, Florida, became so much more than an after-school program. Gary credits his Club experience with helping shape his life.
Our 2023 Youth of the Year Ambrosia C. and Senior Director of 21st Century Clubs Lendward Griffin were featured on River City Live discussing our 2023 Youth of the Year Awards Ceremony and Alumni Reception.
Click to watch their interview!
At our 2nd Annual Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida (BGCNF) Employee Recognition Reception, we proudly recognized staff members for their outstanding work and their commitment to providing excellent youth-centered services through our 48 Clubs across Clay, Duval, St. Johns and Alachua counties.
Nominations for each of these prestigious awards were submitted by peers, supervisors, other departments, and Club families. The winners in each category were announced and celebrated at the Employee Recognition Reception. Congratulations to each staff member and Club recognized for exceeding performance standards, exhibiting youth-centered service excellence, and demonstrating BGCNF Core Values!
Congratulations to our 2023 Youth of the Year winners! All three local Youth of the Year winners attend THE PLAYERS Championship (TPC) Boys & Girls Club in St. Augustine.
The winners are Ambrosia C. for the high school category, Tyler H. for middle school and Jordyn W. for elementary.
Click to hear more from each of these amazing young leaders about their Boys & Girls Club experience!
Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida announced the winners of their local 2023 Youth of the Year competition, the organization’s highest honor for young leaders, at the Youth of the Year Awards Ceremony and Alumni Club Reception on Feb. 23 at the Florida Blue Conference Center.
All three local Youth of the Year winners attend THE PLAYERS Championship (TPC) Boys & Girls Club in St. Augustine. The winners are Ambrosia C. for the high school category, Tyler H. for middle school and Jordyn W. for elementary.
As the local high school Youth of the Year, Ambrosia will represent Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida in upcoming state, regional and national competitions through Boys & Girls Clubs of America. She will also be the local teen spokesperson, advocate and voice of her peers throughout the year.
Jacksonville Jaguars Outside Linebacker Arden Key and Food Network Winner Chef Amadeus will represent Boys & Girls Clubs alumni at the upcoming 2023 Youth of the Year Awards Ceremony and Alumni Club Reception.
We will announce our 2023 Youth of the Year winners, our organization’s highest honor for young leaders, at the awards ceremony banquet on Feb. 23 at the Florida Blue Conference Center.
More than 300 guests will join the 50 kids and teens nominated for this prestigious honor. Guests and Youth of the Year nominees attending the ceremony with their families and mentors will enjoy a welcome from Boys & Girls Clubs alumnus Arden Key and an inspirational message from Food Network Extreme Chef Winner Chef Amadeus.
