Board Meeting
When: Wed, April 20
Where: HARC
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The EVENT
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A Message from Debbie Wagner, CEO
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Happy Spring Everyone!
The desert flowers are in bloom, Tucson is cheering on the Cats in the NCAA tournament and our new Tucson Youth of the Year, Karla Figeuroa, is preparing to go represent BGCT in the Arizona State Competition on April 11th.
I am so grateful to our wonderful donors, sponsors, community partners and BGCT staff for our successful launch into 2017. William James said, "The great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it."
I hope you will all come and support our youth programs by attending our biggest fundraiser of the year, The EVENT, coming up on April 30th at La Encantada. For $150 a ticket you can enjoy a beautiful night under the stars filled with delicious food from over 50 of Tucson's top restaurants, wine and beverage tastings and a variety of music options.
Thank you for helping us to continue our work to make BGCT the place where great futures start for our kids.
Debbie Wagner, CEO
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Karla Figueroa Announced as Mark Irvin City of Tucson Youth of the Year Winner
Seventeen-year-old Karla Figueroa, a 4-year member of the Jim & Vicki Click Clubhouse, was named the 2017 "Mark Irvin City of Tucson Youth of the Year" winner for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson.
Being named Youth of the Year is the highest honor a Boys & Girls Club member can receive, and comes with a $5,000 scholarship award and other prizes. The competition, named after Emeritus Board Member and local businessman, Mark Irvin, recognizes outstanding contributions and service to a member's family, school, community and their own Boys & Girls Clubhouse, as well as personal challenges and obstacles overcome.
A total of six youth, one from each Tucson Clubhouse, competed in the final selection process, which took place on Saturday, February 25th. The competition required each participant to submit a series of essays about their club experience, including their vision for America's youth and their personal mission statement, as well as provide current year high school transcripts and obtain numerous letters of recommendation from educators and mentors.
Over the last few months, more than 40 dedicated Club Members competed for their Clubhouse title. During the initial competition, members made oral presentations to a panel of judges, from which a Clubhouse winner and a runner-up were selected. The six overall Clubhouse winners then represented their Clubhouse at the city competition. There, a panel of esteemed judges comprised of supporters, Board Members, and community leaders listened to each presentation and had the difficult task of selecting the citywide "Youth of the Year" winner.
Like most Club Members, Karla faced many challenges in her young life; however she credits the Clubs for developing her into the leader she is today through its programs, invaluable opportunities and unconditional peer and mentor support. Debbie Wagner, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson said, "Karla is the perfect example of the positive outcomes that the Clubs help to produce. We understand that kids today face unique challenges and need a tremendous amount of support in order to graduate from high school on time and with a solid plan for their future. We are so proud of all of our 2017 Youth of the Year finalists, and excited for them to embark upon college and careers."
On April 11th, Karla will compete against other Arizona youth in a statewide competition in Phoenix. If named the state winner, she will receive additional scholarship awards and move on to a regional competition and potentially advance to the national competition in Washington, DC.
Karla and her fellow Clubhouse winners will all be recognized at the annual "Steak & Burger Dinner," which will be held at the Casino Del Sol Resort on October 1st. This is a celebratory event that publicly recognizes all Clubhouse winners, as well as raises awareness of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson's mission. Over 800 attendees including community supporters and younger Club Members will again have the opportunity to hear Karla tell her story of how the Club has paved her new path.
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Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson Receives First-of-its-Kind Gift
for Signature "Youth of the Year" Program
From Left: Board President Bruce Suppes; Emeritus Board Member Mark Irvin; Patricia Blomfield; Janine Irvin; and CEO Debbie Wagner
Tucson resident Patricia Blomfield has made a generous endowment gift to secure the future of the Mark Irvin City of Tucson Youth of the Year Competition. The gift, which will provide an ongoing source of funds to underwrite the Competition's annual expenses for members of Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson (BGCT), was announced at the March 15, 2017, Board of Directors meeting.
BGCT CEO Debbie Wagner said Blomfield's gift will endow a fund to ensure the Competition remains a permanent and integral program to benefit outstanding Tucson youth as they compete for prestigious college scholarships and a chance to represent Tucson at the state, regional, and national Youth of the Year Competitions hosted by Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
The new endowment fund is the first of its kind for the Tucson Clubs and will fund such expenses as interview, public speaking, and etiquette training, as well as the purchase of interview attire and travel expenses for the competitors. The fund also will cover the costs of marketing the program to potential Youth of the Year competitors from each of the six Tucson Clubhouses. In addition to being the first programmatic endowment at BGCT, the fund is unique among Boys & Girls Clubs in Arizona, the nine-state Pacific Region, and possibly the entire country.
The fund is named The Mark Irvin City of Tucson Youth of the Year Endowment Fund in honor of revered Tucson civic leader and long-time BGCT Board Member Mark Irvin, who recently completed three decades of outstanding Board service. Blomfield, the mother of Irvin, said at the Board meeting, "I am proud of Mark, and I am honored to make this gift to benefit future generations of promising and deserving Tucson youth."
The Youth of the Year Competition is a signature program of Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson and boasts several state and regional winners, as well as a national winner. Last year's citywide winner, Paola Bustamante, won the State of Arizona Competition. The 2017 winner is Karla Figueroa, a high school senior and member of the Jim & Vicki Click Clubhouse. Figueroa will represent Tucson at the State Competition in Phoenix on April 11th.
Gifts to The Mark Irvin City of Tucson Youth of the Year Endowment Fund may be sent to: Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson, P.O. Box 40217, Tucson, Arizona 85717 or by calling 520.573.3533.
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Jeannie and Cole Davis Named "Click for Kids" Award Recipients
Congratulations to Jeannie and Cole Davis on their selection as our 2017 Click for Kids Award winners! We could not be more excited that our Board of Directors selected the Davises from among many outstanding candidates for this singular award.
Created in 2009, the annual Click for Kids Award is the most prestigious honor bestowed by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson. The Award recognizes one person, couple, or organization that has made a profound impact on our Club kids over a significant time period.
Past recipients include the Award's namesake, Jim Click, as well as many others, including Mark Irvin, Mary and Rusty Garrett, Jon and Heather Volpe, Pamela McNair-Wingate and Jana Westerbeke, David Lovitt, and Bill Dawson.
The Davises will be recognized at the Annual Steak & Burger Dinner on October 1, and they will be featured in Biz Tucson.
Jeannie and Cole, we cannot thank you enough for your profound impact on the Clubs and, just as important, your example that inspires others to join our mission of preparing Tucson youth for great futures. Again, thank you and congratulations!
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Board Member Hans Rhey Plans Gift, Pays Tribute to Former Volunteers
As a relative newcomer to the Board, and a husband and father of three, Hans Rhey wanted to make a difference in the lives of future Club kids while planning responsibly for the needs of his family. To achieve these goals, Rhey chose to allocate a percentage of a life insurance policy to benefit Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson.
Rhey achieved another major goal through his Planned Gift to the Clubs: Honoring the memory of two of his heroes, Warren and Marjorie Benson of Tucson, the grandparents of Rhey's wife, Leah Rhey.
"Warren attended and volunteered at a Club while growing up in New York City, and when he came to Tucson in the 1960s, he became an avid supporter of this community as the Executive Director of the Arthritis Foundation and volunteer at the Steve Daru Clubhouse. He never tired of talking about his days at the Clubs and the enjoyment he got from serving. Marjorie was a school teacher at Steele Elementary School in the 70s and 80s where, upon her retirement, she received numerous letters from former students about how she made a positive impact on their lives." Rhey credits Warren and Marjorie with inspiring his own passion for BGCT.
PHOTO: At the February 23, 2017, announcement of Rhey's Planned Gift. From left: Planned Giving Committee Members Shawn Hollenbach, Vance Falbaum, and Laura McGlinn; Board President Bruce Suppes; CEO Debbie Wagner; Board Member Hans Rhey. Rhey's gift is made in memory of Warren and Marjorie Benson of Tucson.
P.S. Please see our Web site at www.BGCTucson.org for more inspiring stories and to learn how to make a legacy gift of your own! Or contact Lee Mayhall, Director of Planned Giving, at 520-308-3334 for additional information.
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There is still time to make your Arizona Charitable Tax Credit Donation
Join the Club in giving the gift of a great summer and keep your tax dollars local! Donations made to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson may qualify you for a dollar-for-dollar charitable tax credit of up to $800 per household. It really is better to give and to receive.
No gift is too big or too small when it comes to our children's futures!
Tax Credits Explanation Sheet
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The EVENT 2017
The EVENT is an evening under the stars featuring food from Tucson's best restaurants, wine tastings, and live entertainment - all to benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson.
Save the Date
Sunday, April 30, 2017 | 6pm - 9pm | La Encantada
Hurry - Tickets will sell out!
Click Here for Tickets
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THANK YOU TO OUR 2017 SPONSORS
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Presenting Sponsor
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For more information or to become a sponsor, contact Elizabeth Bollinger at
[email protected] or call 520.308.3332.
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