Giving from the Heart
The Boys & Girls Clubs mission is to enable all young people, especially those that need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. The Adopt-A-Family and Holiday Party program helps our most “at-risk” members and their families have the opportunity to enjoy the holidays. For many of our members and their families the gifts that they receive from the Adopt-A-Family and Holiday Party are the only ones they will receive for the holidays. Please know that when you are “giving from the heart” you are truly making a difference in the lives of children!
There are several ways that individuals, families, groups, corporations, religious congregations and service clubs can get involved:
• “Adopt” one or more families for the holidays. We will provide you with each
family’s “wish list.” We ask that you spend a minimum of $75 per family member.
• You can tell us what size family you would like to adopt. Please plan on dropping off
your gifts to the nearest Boys & Girls Club no later than Monday, December 17th.
• Donate new, age appropriate (6yrs-12yrs.) toys or teen items for the Holiday Party.
• Donate gift certificates for grocery stores and retail stores such as Target, Wal-Mart,
JC Penney, Sears, Blockbuster, etc.
• Your monetary donation will assist with purchasing gifts for the Holiday Parties.
It’s easy to “Give from the Heart”. For more information please contact Dawn Page at (941) 366-7940 or by e-mail at dpage@boysandgirlsclubs.com or visit our Website at www.boysandgirlsclubs.com.
Happy Holidays and thank you for “Giving from the Heart”!
Boys & GIrls Clubs and Take Stock in Children Partner in Providing Scholarships
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County (BGC) and Take Stock in Children of Sarasota County (TSIC) have teamed together to provide mentoring programs for “at-risk” youth, and a real chance to never live in poverty again.
Until December 31, 2007, both organizations have the opportunity to have every dollar raised -- matched up to six times thanks to a program called Turbo Charge. The TurboCharge grant affords an opportunity to grow local TSIC programs exponentially by leveraging matching dollars through partnerships with local organizations, the state board of TSIC, the Florida Foundation for Community Colleges and the Florida Prepaid Program. “Our partnership is giving hope for a bright, poverty-free future for many deserving students in Sarasota County. This venture has truly shown the power of partnership! When organizations, foundations and donors work towards a common goal, breaking the cycle of poverty, the entire community becomes involved and more lives than ever can be changed,” states Lisa Bechtold, Executive Director of Take Stock in Children.
Help to positively change a life. Purchase a child’s tuition today for a brighter future for not only that child, but for our community. For more information, please call Veronica Brandon Miller at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County 941-366-3911 ext. 126.
Boys & GIrls Clubs Dedicate New Robert and Joan Lee Club in Venice
On October 25th over 300 members of the community as well as City and County leaders gathered at the new Robert & Joan Lee Boys & Girls Club to help dedicate the new facility. Robert and Joan Lee, the Club’s major benefactors were on hand to see their dream of having a Boys & Girls Club that will serve the youth in the Venice area become a reality. The Lee’s generous donation of a mobile home park provided the major portion of the funding need to make this Club possible.
Club members have been enjoying the benefits of the new facility and have been involved in the educational and fitness programs the Club offers since October 1st. In just the short time since it has opened its doors, membership has increased to over 200 youth. The club features two state-of-the-art computer labs, a full-size gym, a Teen Center, full-size commercial kitchen, game rooms, arts and crafts rooms, and an outdoor pavilion. "This has been such an exciting project, and we’ve had such an amazing outpouring of support. We know that the community will see what an asset the Club is to our youth, and that we will build the financial support to provide a POSITIVE PLACE FOR KIDS,” states Gina Taylor, Chair of the Venice Advisory Board.
To learn more about the naming opportunities, schedule a tour of the Club, or inquire about other ways you can help, please contact Veronica at 941-366-3911, ext. 126 or email vmiller@boysandgirlsclubs.com.
Volunteer of the Month
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County is thrilled to announce that Emily Sperling is the Volunteer of the Month for December. The Sperling family has been a long-time supporter of the BGC for many years, and now the third generation, Emily, is continuing the tradition.
As a native of Sarasota, Emily is also the Community Relations Manager for the Economic Development Corporation (EDC) of Sarasota County. She has been an integral part of the BGC Women’s Leadership Council, and this past summer spearheaded the beautification project and reading garden for the Roy McBean Club in Newtown. "Volunteering with the Boys and Girls Club has been a very rewarding experience. I benefit just as much, or more, from interacting with the kids as they do from interacting with me,” states Emily. "Walking into the Club puts an immediate smile on my face. You can't help but have fun when you're there --the kids' energy is contagious!"
“Emily is such as wonderful and dedicated person, and we are blessed to have her as part of the BGC family. Her leadership and enthusiasm has been instrumental, and are very grateful for her commitment to the BGC” states Veronica Brandon Miller, Vice President of Marketing & Development for the BGCSC.
Please make sure you stop by or visit the EDC and thank Emily for everything she has done for the Boys & Girls Clubs. Congratulations Emily!
Women's Leadership Council
The BGC Women’s Leadership Council (WLC) brings together leaders in the community to network and to provide and enhance opportunities for our youth to utilize their full potential as creative, responsible, and caring individuals that will make an impact and give back to the community. On Wednesday, December 5, 2007, the WLC will host the second in their series of Networking Luncheons, which feature prominent local businesswomen giving their insight on a variety of relevant topics. This next luncheon will feature guest speaker, Laura Spencer – CEO of Tervis Tumbler. We invite you to come hear how a working mother rose from accountant to CFO to Chief Executive Officer. Being one of “biz941 Magazines 25 People to Watch”, Laura will share her thoughts about managing a national company during this economic change. As this changing economy affects everyone in our community, you won’t want to miss this engaging and informational presentation.
The lunch will be at Flemings Prime Steakhouse in Sarasota at 12 NOON - $30/pp. Sign up at 941-366-3911, ext. 126 or vmiller@boysandgirlsclubs.com.
Alumni of the Month
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County is honored to announce that the Alumnus of the Month of December is Jay Brady! As the Executive Director of Gulf Coast Builders Exchange since 1995, Jay also continues to be extremely involved in supporting the Boys & Girls Clubs in Sarasota County.
“My years at the Boys & Girls Club on Fruitville Road are some of my best memories as a boy growing up in Sarasota. Representative Tom Danson was our basketball coach and we had a great winning team. Having moved to Sarasota from Baltimore, the Club gave me the opportunity to meet life long friends at a time I knew few people in town. When the Lee Wetherington building was built it was great to see the excitement of the kids on opening day and every time I visit. It was a special pleasure when my association, Gulf Coast Builders Exchange, placed the new building on the cover of our annual membership directory in 2005,” states Jay.
“We are so proud of Jay and all the achievements he has made throughout the years, and are privileged to have him now as a supporter. He is the true example of a leader, and the perfect model for our kids to look up to,” states Mack Reid, president/CEO of the BGCSC.
Find a Special Home for your Family and Support a Great Cause
For numerous years, Lee Wetherington has been a major supporter of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County, and has a Club specifically named after him on Fruitville Road. And his generosity never stops! Each home that Lee Wetherington sells, the Clubs in turn receive generous contributions. In fact, the most recent gift was for $25,000.
“We are indebted to Lee’s generosity, and the $25,000 will help with the up-keep and maintenance of the Clubs. Many people don’t realize how costly it is to maintain such large facilities, and the wear and tear that comes with serving 8,000 youth. We hope that the community will help support the Clubs by supporting Lee Wetherington Homes,” states Mack Reid, President and CEO of BGCSC. Visit www.lwhomes.com for more information.
Sponsor of the Month
If you walk through any of the B&G Clubs in Sarasota County, you will see the handy work of our Sponsor of the Month of December – Tom Shapiro. As the President & CEO of Sterling Manufacturing, Tom is also a dedicated supporter to the Clubs. “For the past three years, Tom has served on the Board of Directors, and is the incoming Chair of the building committee. He has been an asset to helping the Clubs, and is very committed to the mission. We could never be able to repay Tom for all that he has done for the kids at the Clubs,” states Bill Sadlo, Chief Operating Officer.
“I support the Boys and Girls Club because I believe in planning for the future. By providing our children with the values and support they need, we will help create tomorrow’s leaders. It’s a lot easier to get it right now than fix it later,” states Tom.
Please visit www.sterling-mfg.com to find out more about Sterling Manufacturing. And make sure you thank Tom for everything he does to help the BGC. Congratulations Tom!
Annual Thanksgiving Basket Brigade Provides Thanksgiving Dinner to 1,600 Families
On November 17th nearly 800 volunteers showed up bright and early at the Lee Wetherington Boys & Girls Club to help with the Tiny Hands Foundation’s Annual Basket Brigade. Through the generosity of the foundation, 1,600 low income families in Sarasota and Bradenton received a basket with all the trimmings for a complete Thanksgiving dinner plus much more.
After putting these baskets together, they also had the daunting task of getting them all delivered. This was a major undertaking that could not have been accomplished without the help of those hundreds of volunteers. While many of these people have volunteered in previous years, the number of baskets was doubled this year and much more help was needed.
Thanks to the generosity of local business man, Rod Khleif and his Tiny Hands Foundation, many families in two counties who might not have otherwise had a real Thanksgiving dinner enjoyed just that. Next year Khleif plans to increase the number of dinners to 3,200.
“It was incredible to see so many people in the community come together to help those less fortunate than themselves. Making sure that all of these baskets were put together and delivered was a major undertaking, but these dedicated volunteers stayed until the last basket was delivered. We are looking forward to working with Rod Khleif and his Tiny Hands Foundation again next year to help ensure that they double their goal to 3,200 families.” states J. Mack Reid, President/CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs.
Many more volunteers will be needed next year, so watch for your newsletter from the Club and plan on coming out next year to help with this project.
MLB Player Holds Baseball Camps at Gene Matthews Club in North Port
For the first time, MLB player, Jonathon Knott, with the assistance of his wife Connie and other friends in the North Port area, hosted a baseball camp at the Gene Matthews Club. The members who participated were divided into two age groups who were given instruction first on the rules of baseball then had hands on instruction in hitting and playing the different positions in the outfield. At the conclusion of the camp, the participants were challenged to a real baseball game against each other. .
This first camp was a huge success with our members and plans are in the wor.gif)
ks for a second camp in the spring. Thank you to Jonathan and Connie for taking the time to work with Gene Matthews Club members. We might just see one of them in the “Big Leagues” in the future.
Wachovia Foundation Supports BGC Money Matters Program
The Clubs serve thousands of children whose families are 
considered to be at poverty level. A lot of these families live paycheck to paycheck. Our goal is to help break this cycle, which is why BGCA created a program called Money Matters – Make it Count. This program has been proven to be successful in helping Club members understand better how they can be financially responsible starting from a young age. Thanks to a grant from the Wachovia Foundation the Clubs have been able to implement this program at all of its locations.
The Money Matters program addresses financial literacy through fun, interactive activities and exercises on topics such as using a checking account, managing debt, learning to save and also the basics of investing. This program teaches our members and their parents about money, values and some important life skills they need to be successful in the world. Financial education is one of the keys to having a successful future and this program teaches it in a very easy way to understand.
JC Penney Opens Early for Boys & Girls Club Members
Every child looks forward to starting the school year with new clothes, unfortunately, there are some who never get the chance. However, thanks to a grant from J.C. Penny After School Foundation, 60 BGCSC Club members were given a $100 gift card to shop for the new school year at J.C. Penny. The store opened early to allow the kids to show their individual style and choose their own clothes. Thank you to all the staff at J.C. Penny who helped make this day special for the kids!
The Boys & Girls Clubs received a grant from the JC Penney Afterschool Fund earlier this year which allowed 114 youth to both join the Club and/or remain members in addition to allowing the opportunity for them . Being involved in the Boys & Girls Clubs gives these youth a life changing opportunity. Studies show that 14.3 million children in the United States are unsupervised after school between the hours of 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. each day. Additionally, studies show that youth are at greater risk of involvement in crime, drug abuse and other destructive behaviors during these hours. To address this issue, JCPenney created the JCPenney Afterschool Fund in 2001, and together they have contributed more than $60 million to support the afterschool cause nationwide, giving tens of thousands of children the opportunity to participate in essential afterschool programs.The JCPenney Afterschool Fund continues working toward the day when all children in America will have access to life-changing afterschool programs that help them reach their full potential. 
BGC Legends Week
Starting November 5th the Clubs recently celebrated “Legends Week”. Legends Week consisted of four events during the week starting with a “Celebrity Scoop” held at Cold Stone Creamery. Thank you once again to Sam Franzone, shop owner and BGC alumnus, for letting the Club come in and take over! Local “Celebrity Scoopers” who helped out for the day were a team from ABC 7 including Silke Rible, John Scalzi and Judy Gallagher, Cliff Roles with 96.5 WSLR, Anne L. Weintraub of Icard Merrill, Sal Diaz, BGCA National Board Member, and of course Christine Davis, the BGC’s Board President.
Later that evening Sarasota High School hosted our Celebrity Softball Game. Special thanks go to Jamie Purmort for his efforts in coordinating the game and Bob Harrigan for coming out and playing along with Jonathon Knott, MLB players as well as the BGC’s Unit Directors.
Kids Night Out Dinner & Auction at the Ritz-Carlton on Thursday night was a huge success, with two special celebrity guests joining in on the festivities -- baseball Hall of Famer Johnny Bench and actor Danny Glover. Local Hometown Heroes, Teri Hansen, President/CEO of the GCCFV, Herald-Tribune Publisher Diane McFarlin, Betty Schoenbaum, Graci McGillicuddy, Myra Monfort, Dr. Richard Vinton and Dick Vitale were the first inductees.into the Boys & Girls Clubs Hall of Fame.
Stephen LeBlanc did a great job as Chair of the event. With the assistance of the committee and BGC staff, the evening proved to be a great success. Special thanks go to all of our wonderful sponsors and all of the businesses and individuals who donated fabulous auction items which helped raise money to keep the Clubs in operation.
Watch our upcoming newsletters for details on next year’s event and find out who the next special guest will be! For information on sponsorship opportunities for the 2008 event, please contact Veronica Miller at 941-366-3911 x126 or vmiller@boysandgirlsclubs.com.
What will your Legacy Be?
There is only 1 month left for individuals to take advantage of making a contribution to the Boys & Girls Clubs through their IRA. The "Pension Protection Act of 2006" permits individuals age 70 ½ and older to make cash gifts up to $100,000 a year from a traditional or Roth IRA to qualified charities such as the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County. These gifts are tax free – no personal income is realized and no income tax is paid on the withdrawal. This is good news for people who want to make a charitable gift during their lifetime from their retirement assets, but have been discouraged from doing so because of potential tax penalties. It is also good news because traditional IRAs are among the most heavily taxed assets if they remain in your estate upon death – since they are subject to both estate tax and income tax. The new provision is effective for tax years 2006 and 2007 only, so you must act by December 31 to take full advantage of the new law. For more information, please call Veronica Brandon Miller at 941-366-3911, ext. 126 or go to http://www.boysandgirlsclubs.com/giving/ira.php.
Thank you to our Supporters
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County rely on grants, through both the federal and state governments and local foundations to sustain our Club programs. We would like to thank the following foundations and organizations for their support of these Club programs:
* Regal Entertainment Group for providing free movies for the Lee Wetherington and Roy McBean Club members during the Free Family Film Festival
* Bank of America Client Foundation for supporting our Aquatics program.
* BJ’s Foundation for supporting our Physical Activity programs.
* The Allstate Foundation for obtaining the Agency Hands in the Community grant for our Club.
* The Joy McCann Foundation for supporting the Aquatics Program
* Sarasota County Board of Commissioners for support of the Project Learn and SMART Moves programs.
* Wachovia Foundation for support of the Money Matters – Make it Count Program
How You Can Help!
Want to help support the BGC? Sign up service with Dry Cleaning To Go at 2214 N. Washington Blvd, Sarasota, FL, 34234, (941) 366-1100. The Boys & Girls Clubs will receive $10 from each patron who mentions us!
Open up an account at SunTrust Bank, and they will donate $100 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County. Just make sure you designate us when signing up. Visit https://promotion.suntrust.com/mycause/ for more information.
Proud Supporter of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County!