Your Clubs
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2021 OF NORTHEAST OHIO
Stories about the kids and families you have helped.
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You helped kids succeed in tough times When she heard the news, Keniyah, 11, was not happy.
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Her school – closed all spring because of the pandemic – would not reopen in the fall. She and her classmates would begin the school year learning virtually rather than from face-toface instruction. “I was angry,” Keniyah says. “I like going to my school. I like seeing my teachers and friends in person.” She could not have known that generous people like you were already working to help her and other kids succeed in these difficult circumstances. You stepped up to help Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio open 16 ClubSmart Learning Centers, places where kids in virtual-only education environments could receive in-person help, high-speed internet access and the use of computers. These Clubs were open during the school day, helping kids and working families.
divide,” says Jeff Scott, BGCNEO’s president and CEO. “There is no way we could have done this without our supporters.” At first, Keniyah was lukewarm about the idea of going to her Club for school. But once she realized she was in a place where she could develop a study routine and still see her friends, she thrived. Today, she is getting all As and Bs in her classes.
And thanks to you, this pivot in operations was done in a 45-day period.
“I go to class on time, do all my work and pay attention in class,” she says. “And there is someone there to help me if I don’t understand something.”
“We knew we had to act in the interest of our kids, many of whom are harmed by the digital
Will she be happy to get back to the classroom? “Very,” she says, smiling.
Sara Shookman to emcee Aspire on March 27
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Join award-winning 3News anchor and Akron native Sara Shookman at this year’s Aspire! gala. This March 27 virtual event will benefit the Summit County branch of Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio. Sara will emcee the event. Akron Public Schools Board President Patrick Bravo will serve as honorary chair. The event will feature an online auction, raffle, a performance by the youth choir, a speech by our local 2021 Youth of the Year, a virtual Club tour, stories from our Clubs, and an opportunity to support Club operations in the community. Aspire! runs from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. and will be followed by an optional dance party with tunes supplied by BGCNEO. Tickets are free, but you must sign up by going to bgcneo.org and clicking on the Aspire! virtual event button. To enjoy dinner during the event, you can purchase a ticket that includes a $30 meal voucher for participating restaurants. Sara grew up in Akron. She is a graduate of Manchester High School and lover of the Portage Lakes. She has been a strong advocate for our Clubs, partnering with us by reading to younger kids, emceeing our Youth of the Year event and serving on the Bridge Board, a young professionals group.
Lorain city, schools step up for our kids Our partners at the city of Lorain and the Lorain City School District are helping kids and families get through the trials of virtual learning by making significant commitments to the Clubs. Lorain Police Chief James McCann and Mayor Jack Bradley presented BGCNEO with a $35,000 check in support of ClubSmart Learning Centers in Lorain. The funding will enhance programming at the Westview Terrace, Southside Gardens and Desich Family Campus locations. The school district partnered with BGCNEO to allow 30 students from working families to attend one of our Lorain ClubSmart Learning Centers. The district is providing transportation. In addition, the district worked with us to open a new learning center at Garfield Elementary School where children of school employees and residents can attend. We thank the city and the school district for helping the kids who need us most.
via virtual volunteering We hope we can soon welcome volunteers back to our Clubs. Until then, why not consider volunteering virtually? We are looking for people from all walks of life who can share 2-3-minute videos about their careers and different aspects of work life. The videos will be available to our teens, who are considering everything from going to college to entering the work force. Your experiences and expertise can help shape their decisions and create Great Futures. We will have a different topic each month that volunteers can participate in. If you or your company are interested in being part of this Teen Corner feature on our online Cyber Club, please contact Grace Marras at gmarras@bgcneo.org.
Paving great futures,brick by brick If you love Sandusky’s youth, here’s a chance to etch your feelings – and your name – in stone. In conjunction with the upcoming graduation of the Sandusky High School Class of 2021, you will be able to purchase engraved pavers that will be installed at our Sandusky Teen Center. Cost is $125 for one brick and $250 for a two-brick block. ‘The Grad Path: Building Great Futures, Brick by Brick’ honors this year’s graduates, who have endured the pandemic and long stretches of virtual learning along the way. It’s a perfect opportunity to honor not just grads but children, grandchildren and loved ones. Proceeds will benefit Club kids in Sandusky. We’ll have more details shortly. To reserve a brick today, contact Jen Lippus at jlippus@bgcneo.org.
PASSING THE JOY: About 600 Club members in Cuyahoga, Lorain, Summit and Erie counties received holiday gifts thanks to Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield and his wife, Emily. The Mayfields teamed up with Meijer and BodyArmor to provide the presents. Baker and Emily Mayfield personally delivered the first batch of gifts to kids at our Broadway Club in Cleveland.
HIGHLIGHTS
THOUGHTFUL: Boys & Girls Clubs of West Chester/Liberty sent a beautiful, touching hand-drawn poster to Cleveland’s King Kennedy Club expressing sympathy and support for King Kennedy members, who recently lost two teens -Anthony Hughes Jr. and Arthur Keith -- to gunfire. Club Director Richard Starr said he and the kids were moved by the gesture.
WHAT’S FOR LUNCH?: Our partners a Papa John’s Pizza treated our Clubs in Akron, Sandusky, Cleveland and Lorain with pizza parties. We thank Papa John’s for thinking of our kids! HOLIDAY SURPRISES: Kids at the Steve Wise Club in Akron got a lot of love from the community over the holidays. The Akron Fire Department and Akron Firefighters Association Local 330 delivered coats to the kids as part of Operation Warmth. Members later opened gifts purchased by our supporters.
NICE ASSIST: Cavs star guard Collin Sexton made the holiday season brighter for about 20 kids from the Saint Luke’s Club. In a Zoom session, Collin talked to the kids about everything from basketball to life’s challenges. He and his parents also treated the kids to holiday gifts from Dick’s Sporting Goods.
GOING MOBILE: The pandemic didn’t stop GrowPoint Church in Amherst from spreading holiday cheer. The church brought mobile holiday parties to our Lorain County Clubs, where kids received gifts and hot cocoa, listened to holiday music and played in fake snow.
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NON PROFIT U.S. Postage PAID Cleveland OH Permit No. 3046
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6114 Broadway Avenue OF NORTHEAST OHIO Cleveland, Ohio 44127
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About the Clubs Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio was created by the 2019 merger of Clubs in Cleveland, Akron, Lorain County and Sandusky. Your support provides fun, safe places for kids ages 6-18 after school, with an emphasis on academic success, healthy lifestyles and character development. Thank you.
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Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio 6114 Broadway Avenue Cleveland, Ohio 44127 216.883.2163 www.bgcneo.org
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