Boys & Girls Clubs of the Suncoast Opened its Doors in 1960 and Today Makes Giving Groovy

The Boys & Girls Club of the Suncoast (BGSC) is making giving groovy.  Originally founded on the cusp of the 60’s, BGCS has provided a positive, safe and structured environment for 5500 children annually, where every child can participate, regardless of race or religion and no child is ever turned away for the inability to pay.  BGCS is celebrating 50 years of helping thousands of youth as well as all the children that will rely on them tomorrow.  Making giving groovy is the theme of BGSC’s 50^th Anniversary Celebration held at the Sirata Beach Resort on January 30, 2010.  The event will raise much needed money to fund scholarships at each of their eleven clubs in Pinellas County.

Long-time supporters of BGCS, the Nicklaus and Sokolowski families, will be recognized at this year’s event.  The Sirata Beach Resort, owned by the Nicklaus family, has hosted many Boys & Girls Club galas.

An original piece of artwork donated by the renowned Slovak American glass sculptor and entrepreneur, Dale Chihuly, is to be auctioned off during the event.  Chihuly created and signed the unique piece to celebrate the BGCS 50th Anniversary.  Chihuly’s work is included in over 200 museum collections worldwide. 

BGCS has a growing stable of smaller supporters in the community and welcome volunteers, donations and the like from those that want to contribute.  For more information about the Boys & Girls Club of the Suncoast, visit www.bgcsuncoast.org and for more information about the event, visit www.begroovy.org or call (727) 459-6461.

About the Boys & Girls Club of the Suncoast:

The Boys & Girls Clubs of America movement came to Pinellas County in November 1959 with the founding of the Boys Club of Pinellas Park by Police Chief Maurice L. MacTarsney and Margret “Peg” Nunn.  The Club began operating in January 1960 in an old frame building leased from the City of Pinellas Park with its 1st executive director, James S Hart Jr.  The Boys Clubs of Pinellas, Inc. was chartered in August 1967 when its second club opened at the Northside location in St. Petersburg.  In May 1970, at the urging of both the United Way and the Boys Clubs of America, the Boys Clubs of Pinellas County, Inc. was organized.  In 1991, the Boys Clubs of Pinellas County opened its programs to all youth, forming Boys & Girls Clubs of the Suncoast (BGCS), as we know it today, now with eleven locations.  BGCS under the leadership of Carl R. Lavender, Jr. has the goal “to influence the behavior and the attitudes of each individual boy and girl in a wholesome manner.”  The sole purpose of BGCS is to provide children, youth, their families and the community opportunities for safe, structured, well supervised after school and summer youth programs, with an emphasis on leadership, education and self sufficiency.  The organization has proven its commitment to service for children and community members with innovative and progressive programming and opportunities.  Supporters of Boys & Girls Clubs include government politicians, law enforcement agency representatives, financial institutions, and education boards, among other concerned citizens.  To find out more or to help, visit http://www.bgcsuncoast.org/.

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