A MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT DR. FLINT FOWLER
As the year ends, we depend on your kindness to help us strengthen our mission to inspire all youth to reach their full potential as responsible, productive, and caring citizens.

BGCSTL does whatever it takes to help youth build great futures. Your end-of-the-year contribution supports youth and allows us to empower them with the tools they need to pursue their dreams. We wish you and your family a safe holiday season and a prosperous 2024. To make a year-end donation, please click HERE. 
2023 AT A GLANCE
IF THE SHOE FITS
Local Footlocker Makes a Generous Donation
The Galleria Footlocker staff raised over $5,000 for Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis. District Manager Markeetious Fisher and his team presented the check to President Dr. Flint Fowler at the Adams Park Club. Fisher and his crew brought pizza and enjoyed activities with the kids and teens. The donation will support academic and healthy lifestyle programs at the Club. 

Footlocker's staff, General Manager Candice Patterson, Market Leader and General Manager Quinton Simms, and staff seemed to have as much fun participating in activities as our youth. Adams Park Club members beat Footlocker's staff in a game of tug-a-war! View the photo gallery HERE.
YOUTH OF THE YEAR
ISMAIL BOTCHWAY
"Thanks Frank Leta for my car!"
In October, Ismail Botchway proudly accepted the 2023-24 Youth of the Year title at the Great Futures Gala at the Armory.  Botchway is a member of the Teen Center of Excellence, and Mathews-Dickey Club, and is a St. Louis Internship Program participant. 

The Youth of the Year is the highest honor a Club member can achieve and garners him a $5,000 Wanda and Michael DeHaven scholarship, a car courtesy of Frank Leta Automotive, and a role as Teen Ambassador throughout the year. 

Botchway was delighted to pick up his vehicle. "It doesn't seem real. I'm sure it will sink in soon. Thank you!" exclaimed Botchway. Of course, he received all the lectures about safe driving. Botchway responded after his test drive, "My parents said I was driving too slow. I was nervous!" 

Botchway received the Dr. Flint Fowler and June McAllister Fowler award in April for his outstanding leadership and volunteerism at the Women's Leadership Circle's Table For Four event. 
YOUTH OF THE YEAR CANDIDATES
ROCK!
Seven Youth of the Year candidates competed for the Club's top honor.

Lailah Green, Jiyu Zhang, Ismail Botchway, Lai'Jeon Williams, Austin Nichols, Brailey Harrop and Alex Sargeant brought their A-game.

The runner-ups were:
  • Second place - $2,500: Jiyu, Teen Center of Excellence and St. Louis Internship participant
  • Third place - $1,000: Lailah, O'Fallon Park Club
  • Fourth place - $500: Lai'Jeon, Mathews-Dickey Club

Congratulations to them all for an outstanding job through this rigorous competition.
MIDWEST REGIONAL CONFERENCE
ST. LOUIS PERFORMANCES STEAL THE SHOW!
Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) Midwest Regional Conference held in St. Louis featured record-breaking attendance and put local club members in the spotlight!

For three days, attendees enjoyed learning the latest in best practices, meeting new people, catching up with old colleagues, and hearing successful strategies to implement for the coming year. 

But the highlight of the conference included Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis Club member's stellar performances. Alexis Lloyd, Adam Lee, Ismail Botchway, Montgomery Price, Jordyn Quinn, Brycen Sikes, and Davis LaGrone stunned the crowd, sparking a personal invitation from BGCA Senior Vice-President John Miller to perform at the 2024 national conference in Atlanta.  Club member Daija J. also received recognition for the beautiful artwork displayed in the session hallways.
NEW STATE OF THE ART CULINARY & ARTS CENTER OPENS
In September, Panda Express hosted a special grand opening and ribbon cutting for the newly renovated Panda Cares Center of Hope (COH) culinary and arts space at the Adams Park Club.  

Panda Cares presented President Flint Fowler with a $10,000 check, and pledged an additional $15,000 for academic scholarships awarded to high school seniors graduating from COH.

Panda Cares is the foundational, non-profit arm of Panda Express. To the delight of Adams Park Club members, the ceremony included engaging activities, free books, and a delicious meal from a local Panda Express. 
 
Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) and Panda Cares partnership allowed the creation of the COH to provide resources and support through Project Learn. 
MATHEWS-DICKEY'S ANNUAL CEREMONY PACKS THE HOUSE
HUNDREDS OF PLAYERS AWARDED TROPHIES
The highly-anticipated Mathews-Dickey Club Trophy Distribution ceremony is a favorite for Club members. The awards ceremony celebrates the team's winning seasons. 

MD teams continue to produce high-performing athletes, serving thousands of boys and girls each year. Congratulations to the nationally ranked teams: 

  • 6U - Sixth in the nation- Coach Anthony Bugsby 
  •  7U - Seventh in the country - Coach Robert Taylor 
  • 9U - Ninth in the country - Coach Raeffel Merriweather Jr. 

Athletics, education, arts, healthy living, workforce development, cultural enrichment, and the strong legacy of Co-Founders Martin Mathews and Hubert "Dickey" Ballentine remain the foundation of MD. 
BETHALTO CLUB'S HELP KIDS DINNER AUCTION
EVENT SURPASSES FUNDRAISING GOAL
The annual Bethalto Club Help Kids Dinner Auction never disappoints. Board members and event organizers displayed luxury name-brand auction items starting with a five-dollar bid. The low bidding price was temporary, as many items sold for hundreds of dollars.  

There were bidding wars for popular items, including a Louis Vuitton crossbody handbag and the Orlando Disney World vacation. Another busy area of the Winter Wonderland-themed event was the spirited beverage toss and name-brand purse raffle. Attendees bidding on live auction items, such as a BBQ party for 25 took each other and the auctioneer to task as they tossed up their numbers. More than $50,000 was raised and this year, a surprise check donation of $10,000 helped surpass the fundraising goal.   
The mission of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis (BGCSTL) is to inspire and enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens. BGCSTL provides after-school, teen, sports and summer programs to youth across the Bi-State Region while also providing a safe place for them to learn and grow. The Clubs serve youth across the region at eleven locations, including (Adams Park Club, Bentwood Townhomes Club, Bethalto Club, Lovejoy Club, Hazelwood Elementary School Club, Herbert Hoover Club, Mathews-Dickey Club, O’Fallon Park Club, Riverview Gardens Club, Hazelwood Southeast Middle School Club and the Teen Center of Excellence). We also operate Mentor St. Louis and the St. Louis Internship Program.
2901 North Grand Blvd
St. Louis, MO 63107
Phone: (314) 335-8000