Boys & Girls Clubs Named Charity of the Day During THE PLAYERS Final Round

Posted Thursday, March 3, 2022

By Anthony Richards, Ponte Vedra Recorder

THE PLAYERS Championship Boys & Girls Club would not be what it is today without the support of the golf tournament.

That makes it only fitting that Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida will be the designated Charity of the Day at THE PLAYERS this year on Sunday, March 13, which will also be the final round.

“The kids entrust us in hearing their thoughts and feelings,” said Lendward Griffin, Senior Unit Director of THE PLAYERS Championship Boys & Girls Club. “It boils down to the people we have working here. Building relationships is a huge thing.”

According to Griffin, THE PLAYERS put forth $750,000 to start up the Club, which opened in 2010, and has continued to be a supporter of the Club and the organization overall.

As a result, roughly 100 children are served at the Club each day. Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida has been around for 60 years and consists of 38 Clubs that serves more than 3,500 young people each day in Duval, St. Johns and Alachua counties.

THE PLAYERS even helped install a golf putting green at the Club.

Boys & Girls Clubs welcome children from first grade to seniors in high school to be part of the program.

Connecting with a child takes a different approach depending on the age of the child, but it is something the organization is well equipped for.

“We have a great group of staff that are able to work with all age groups,” Griffin said. “It’s all about giving opportunities and encouraging growth.”

One example of growth he has seen over the years is that older children, who have been in the program for years, get to the point where they embrace more roles as leaders and role models for the younger members.

In fact, he encourages that because he has found that it has a much more lasting effect and becomes much more easily relatable for the members.

“It comes off a lot more real when it comes from someone their age,” Griffin said.

Ambrosia is a 10th grader who has been a member at THE PLAYERS Championship Boys & Girls Club for seven years.

Ambrosia was the nominee for Youth of the Year by THE PLAYERS Championship Boys & Girls Club.

“My time at the club has shaped me to be the confident, outgoing and loving person I am today,” Ambrosia said. “Through my time here at THE PLAYERS Championship Boys & Girls Club, I have been able to come out of my shell and not be so shy in unknown situations. I have been able to tackle challenges with confidence and use my voice to speak up and speak out. I love the person that I have become.”

Her favorite memory was finishing in second place in the FIRST LEGO League STEM regionals competition. She is looking forward to bringing home a first-place trophy before she graduates high school.

According to Griffin, for the 2019-2020 school year, 94% of children in Boys & Girls Clubs successfully graduate to the next grade level before summer school and 98% do not enter the juvenile justice system and no members became teen mothers.

“We want them all to dream big,” Griffin said.