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News & Events August 2015

In This Issue
This Door Transforms Lives
 ...Take the Tour and find out how 
SIGN UP TODAY!
TOUR THE CLUB BEFORE WORK!

Interested in learning more about Boys & Girls Clubs of Harford County?

Join us at our Bel Air Club Thursday, August 20th, at 8 am for a tour during our free open house event.

While you're there, make sure to see Laura's Reading Room dedicated by the Horst Family. The room was designed to promote literacy skills in our youngest club members. 

Discover the Club's phenomenal programs and services for yourself & find out how you can help create a great future. 

Take the tour and see Laura's new reading roomliteracy project donated to youth while in belau

RSVP at:  
525 W. MacPhail Rd.Bel Air, MD 21014

Join Our Mailing List
Featured Youth of the Month
ABERDEEN CLUB
Youth of the Month
**Emmanuel O.**

Twelve-year-old Emmanuel O. has been a member for the past 3 or 4 months. He attended the Edgewood club towards the end of the school year and now attends Aberdeen's Summer Enrichment Program. In his short time at the Club he participated in Triple Play and was a member of the Junior Solar Sprint team.
Since attending the Summer Enrichment Program, Emmanuel has demonstrated great leadership skills, especially when placed in group settings. H e encourages his peers to follow directions when they aren't doing so and they respect him for it. He takes initiative to help staff with his age group directing them to follow his lead and do what they are asked to do.
Emmanuel credits the Club with helping him learn how to work well with other people in his age group. His favorite area of the Club is the Learning Center because, "I learn a lot of stuff from the staff."  

   "The Boys & Girls Clubs is important to me because it's a place where I get better, I get more confidence, and I'm learning new skills."
-Emmanuel, Age 12 



Only $84 per Month

Just $84 dollars a month provides 1 child with an entire school year of Boys & Girls Club services & activities. 

Because of your support- Kids like me can become engineers, scientists, teachers, or whatever we want!


 

"There is no better exercise for your heart than reaching down and helping to lift someone up." 

-Bernard Meltzer


Donors who pledge $84 dollars a month or an annual pledge of $1,000 dollars are qualified to become a Violet Society Member.

Join Our Mailing List
The Amazing Adventures of...
Teddy Bear Sean!
 
Our little bear has been quite busy!

Jones Junction
Jones is one of our newest sponsors. We greatly appreciate the book drive they ran for us during the first week of August.
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Advanced Eye Care
Our furry friend received the full treatment at Advanced Eye Care. He said, "Every bear needs a pair of fly glasses." We would like to thank them for their devotion to our Club kids!



Harman's Farm
Teddy Bear Sean loves fresh veggies and really enjoyed his tour! Thank you, Harman's Farm for all your supp ort.
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Harford Mutual
Harford Mutual is a company truly invested in the future of our county's youth. Not only do they give direct support to our kids, they sponsor our initiatives, fund raise on behalf of our youth, and volunteer at our Clubs.




Ripken Stadium 
Sean caught Harford County Team compete in the Ripken World Series.


Get in on the challenge! The course includes some pavement, mostly trail. Many segments are very technical with significant uphill and downhill sections. 

DATE
Saturday August 22nd
Registration: 7:00-7:45am
5K: 8:00 a.m. 
1 Mile Trail Walk: 8:30 a.m.

LOCATION
Camp Hidden Valley
4722 Mellow Road
White Hall, MD 21161

COST
Early -Birds by July 25
$25

Regular Registrations
$30

Register early to be guaranteed a shirt

FEE INCLUDES:
-Breakfast after race
-Post-race refreshments
-Technical t-shirt

PACKET PICKUP & LATE REGISTRATION:
Fri Aug 21st, 4:00pm-6:00pm
Bel Air Boys & Girls Club
525 W. MacPhail Road
Bel Air, MD 21014

Register early to be guaranteed a shirt

REGISTER AT: WWW.ACTIVE.COM
(Hidden Valley)

*PROCEEDS BENEFIT OUR CLUBS & CAMP HIDDEN VALLEY
 


Cook Auto is giving you the chance to win the IronDart!

Visit the IronDart table during any IronBirds home game this season and make a $1 donation to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Harford County. Your donation enters you into the IronDart raffle.

One lucky winner will be drawn from the raffle and invited to Ripken Stadium for the final game of the season, where they'll have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to drive home the IronDart*.
 
*Restrictions apply. For full contest details, visit the IronDart table at any IronBirds home game this season.







Quick Links...



Boys & Girls Clubs of Harford County have been named a STEM Center of Innovation. A huge transformation is coming to our Aberdeen Club! We are so proud to announce this site will become a place for our Club members to explore new technology and work through the design process as they experience new projects and challenges. 

Did you know that pigs love kisses? Well they do! And one little pig got lots during the Maryland State BBQ Bash on Friday, August 14th. These Pig Kissers had been fundraising for our kids all summer. Check out their website at the  Kiss-A-Pig Donor Page.

Read on to discover more about our Clubs and check out all of our highlights below to learn more about what we are doing to encourage, inspire, and support #GreatFutures.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Harford County Named STEM 'Center of Innovation' for Youth

Raytheon is establishing its first six 'Centers of Innovation' at Boys & Girls Clubs affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations and at Clubs  that support military families, and the Aberdeen Club from Boys & Girls Clubs of Harford County is thrilled to announce they will receive one of these world-class transformations.

The centers are being funded through the company's multi-year commitment to Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA).

The first six centers will open in the fall of 2015 at five locations in the United States and one abroad:
* Boys & Girls Clubs of South County, Chula Vista, Calif., serving the families of Naval Outlying Landing Field Imperial Beach
* Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Texas, Killeen, Tex., serving the families of Fort Hood
* Boys & Girls Clubs of Huntsville, Ala., serving the families of Redstone Arsenal
* Harford County Boys & Girls Clubs, Aberdeen, Md., serving the families of the Aberdeen Proving Ground
* Andrews Air Force Base Youth Center, Md.
* Ramstein Air Base Youth Programs, Germany

The centers will be fully outfitted with modern technology, and will offer full-time expert mentors to lead Club members in projects that apply the principles of science, technology, engineering and math. Club members
 will use technology such as 3-D printers, high-definition video conferencing and other tools to  brainstorm ideas and collaborate on community im provement projects.
 
"We are honored to be selected to be a Center of Innovation for STEM programmin g. We can't wait to see how this facility will impact all the youth we serve,  but especially the military youth in our  community," said Susan Ciavolino , STEM Education Director, Boys & Girls Clubs of Harford County. " Our military families will find it to be a great resource for their children and teens. All kids deserve great futures, and the Center of Innovation will inspire our youth to be creative and passionate about projects they design and build themselves. It's going to be great!"
                                                   
 
On average, military families move six to nine times before their children graduate high school - about three times more often than civilian families. Boys & Girls Clubs of America aim to bring consistency and continuity to their lives; the Club atmosphere provides continuity for military children, whether living on or off a military base.


Pig Kisser's at Maryland BBQ Bash
Thank you to all of the 2015 Pig Kissers!
 
Club members and staff of Boys & Girls Clubs of Harford County are squealing with delight at the success of this year's annual Kiss-A-Pig contest and fundraiser. Held in conjunction with the MD State BBQ Bash held in Bel Air on Friday, August 14, 2015, the Kiss-A-Pig event raised over $40,000 to support the 5 Clubs in Harford County.
 
Six individuals and ten teams worked tirelessly holding bull roasts, flapjack breakfasts, selling raffle tickets, and sponsoring happy hours to raise money and bring awareness to the Great Futures that begin through supported programs at the Clubs.
 
The top individual fundraiser this year was Rachel Brush, from APGFCU, raising over $6,000.  Rachel catered lunches for her co-workers, hosted a bull roast, sold raffle tickets for gift baskets and held Happy Hours at local restaurants.  In addition to winning the individual category, Rachel was the top overall fundraiser for 2015.  Team Jordan Thomas was the top team fundraiser.  Through the generosity of their clients, a fundraiser at Looney's Pub in Bel Air, hosting Urban Boutique for give back nights and a few other fundraisers, Terry McGill and her team raised $5,557.
 
Special thanks to Howard McComas IV, the event chair, Rod Bourn, Catch A Pig 5K event chair, Lisa Fuller, Flapjack Breakfast event chair, Paula Casagrande & Big House Signs, The Majewski Family of Chesapeak Shredding  for providing Shredder the Pig and the following Kiss A Pig 2015 Sponsors: Advanced Eye Care, Beacon Staffing Alternatives, Carsins Run at Eva Mar, Harford Mutual, Howard Bank, Jones Junction, McComas Funeral Homes, Palumbo Insurance Associates, Rainbow International, and Weyrich, Cronin & Sorra Chartered.  
 
Thanks to all our Pig Kissers: Rachel Brush (APGFCU), Team Jordan Thomas Salon & Spa, Team Greene Turtle of Bel Air & Aberdeen, Team Advanced Eye Care, Jack Meckley (BAPD & HCSO), George Heidelmair (it's PayDay), Team Harford County Sheriff's Office, Team Beacon Staffing Alternatives, Team Glenwood, The Majewski Family (Chesapeak Shredding), Terry Artman (Total Energy Concepts), Team Laura Barwick CPA, Team Bank of America / Merrill Lynch, The Dempsey Family, Team Havre de Grace Police Department, and Team SwagDog.
 

Rachel Brush, representing APGFCU, brought home the bacon as the top individual and overall fundraiser.


Terry McGill, from Team Jordan Thomas Salon & Spa, received congratulatory kisses from Shredder the Pig, for winning the team competition.

 
Frank Kellner presented the Harford Mutual Cup to Team Jordan Thomas.

Interested in entering your team next year?
Contact Howard McComas at  howardk@mccomasfuneralhome.com

Badges for Baseball

Badges for Baseball


How do you work towards healing the relationship between police officers and youth? At Boys & Girls Club of Harford County Maryland Inc, we do it with baseball. ABC News came out the first week of August to our field at the Edgewood Boys & Girls Club. They reported on our Badges for Baseball program, and how we are hitting home-runs in other ways than just on the field. 

Kids from both the Aberdeen and Edgewood Clubs have been participating all summer and have loved the experience. This program wouldn't be possible without the deputies and officers at the Harford County Sheriff's Office and the support of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation.
United Way
Demonstrates Their Continued Support

Boys & Girls Clubs of Harford County is extremely appreciative of the continued support demonstrated by United Way of Central Maryland. One of their missions is to reduce homelessness in Harford County. We are proud to serve our youth with a safe, fun, and educational environment during critical after school and summer hours. Boys & Girls Clubs allow parents to work the necessary hours to support their families. 

Read the whole article here.





STARS Program

It's nice to have friends!
Back in April, the Young AFCEANs on APG raised money to fund the STARS (STEM for Academically Rising Students) program out on APG for 36 Club members from Harford and Cecil County Boys & Girls Clubs. Young AFCEA (Armed Forces Communications Electronics Association) is a professional organization whose main focus is supporting STEM education in the community through scholarships and support of programs in our community.             
In July, our members descended on the STEM Education and Outreach Center and had an amazing week doing STEM all day, every day for the week. Each participant who completed the week received a stipend of $50 as a reward for their efforts. A great deal for our kids: fun summer learning and money for back to school shopping. Thank you Young AFCEA! We appreciate your support of our Club kids!
The students who participated were able to explore bridge construction--virtually as well as with K'nex building blocks. They were introduced  to the West Point Bridge Design Contest through Engineering Encounters. Most had never tried this activity and really enjoyed the challenge.  And now they have taken it back to the Clubs for other Club members to try! Creating a bridge from K'nex was fun too--using limited resources to obtain maximum strength was a good exercise in real world engineering. The college interns working on APG designed many of the activities for the week and helped our members build their STEM skills. It was a great week!

Nolan T. demonstrating his bridge.

Summer Meals for Hungry Kids

When school is out, children are still hungry. Did you know that The Summer Table Program provides children, ages 2-18, with breakfast and lunch for FREE! Our Aberdeen, Havre de Grace, and Edgewood Clubs are serving meals at 8:00am and 11:00am. You do NOT need to be enrolled in summer camp to eat! 

The last day to grab a meal is Wednesday, August 26. 

Click  HERE for more information.

 

CASTING CALL

Feeling Scary? Volunteers needed...



We're Building a Community Garden
COMING SOON! The Aberdeen Harvest of Hope Garden- a new community garden project in Aberdeen. Located within a food desert- an area that lacks access to healthy affordable foods- the field behind our Aberdeen Club site will be transformed into a flourishing community garden and outdoor learning lab, providing community members with access to land and affordable fresh healthy produce. The garden will consist of individual/ family plots utilized for the purpose of food production, teaching gardens, and an outdoor learning for our Club members. The mission of Aberdeen Harvest of Hope is to increase access to local and affordable healthy food choices in the community. In the long-term, we expect improved health outcomes and increased community engagement. Our plans call for construction of the garden in Fall 2015 to be open in early Spring 2016, and we can use your support.

There are many ways to get involved, from volunteering in the garden to Eagle Scout project opportunities. For more information contact our AmeriCorps VISTA, Anne Otih, vista@bgcharfordco.org or 410.272.0010x15  

GARDEN WISH LIST ITEMS 

To See Our Full Club Wish List CLICK HERE