Club members participated community services activities while attending AZ OnTrack Summer Camp at Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale, Thunderbirds Branch. A highlight of the Civics programming this summer included writing letters to veterans and active troop members through Project Gratitude.
“Thank you! I wanted to personally reach out and say how much we appreciate the support you have shown from Operation Gratitude. I am currently on deployment and received one of the care packages; it has truly brought some extra joy into my life being so far from home. Please keep up the good work as I know there are many more of my brothers and sisters in the service that will be just as grateful as me. Again, t_ha_n_k you very much! . . . Very Respectfully, AZ3 F, S.M. VAQ-132 11Scorpions”
Outstanding teens from seven Arizona Boys & Girls Clubs and military base youth programs competed for the highest state Club member honors
PHOENIX, Ariz. The Arizona Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs and presenting sponsor Fiesta Bowl Charities are proud to announce the selection of Bailey M. as the 2022 Arizona Youth of the Year. Bailey is a senior at Agua Fria High School and is a member of Avondale’s Bob Bové Branch of Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley. Evie C., a sophomore from Catalina Foothills High School and a member of the Davis-Monthan AFB Youth Program was selected as the 2022 Arizona Military Youth of the Year.
The luncheon ceremony was held at the Arizona State Capitol with friends, Club staff, and many state legislators in attendance. Local legislators from the House and Senate met with the seven finalists to learn more about them and their plans for the future. All of the teens also had the opportunity to meet with Governor Doug Ducey for nearly one hour following the announcement.
Bailey, a 6-year member of Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley’s Bob Bové Branch, a Thornwood Legacy, earned the top title after winning BGCAZ Youth of the Year in January 2022. He’s graduating this year and plans to attend Estrella Mountain Community College and study computer science.
Evie, the 2022 Arizona State Military Youth of the Year, joined the Club 3 years ago. She credits the Club with building her confidence and she’s an active member of Keystone, Girl Scouts, and many other community programs. She plans to attend the University of Florida in the future.
Selected from a field of 7 candidates from Boys & Girls Club organizations around the State, Bailey and Evie will receive $2,500 in scholarships and will go on to compete at the regional level in their respective categories. Regional winners move on to Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s National Youth of the Year competition.
In Bailey’s three-minute competition speech, he shared the difficult journey he and his siblings faced as young children. Ultimately, their grandparents were granted custody of the youth, and Bailey and his brother moved to Arizona with his grandmother. They found the Club when she was trying to find work and make ends meet. Bailey shared how the Club created a second family for him, and he’s looking forward to attending college in the Fall.
Evie also presented her speech to the large gathering. She reflected on the challenges and inspiring opportunities that come with being in a military family. Her family moved around to follow her father’s career and she found a home at her Club, and excelled in many community groups, including earning her Bronze and Silver Awards with Girl Scouts. “The Boys & Girls Club has helped me come out of my shell and has made me feel more comfortable with other people. I have learned more about my community and organizations from volunteering,” said Evie.
Cheyenne Walsh, partner of Compass Strategies Public Affairs and Board Chair for the Arizona Alliance and a member of the Board of Directors for Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley emceed the event alongside 2021 Arizona Youth of the Year Vakentae Cooks, a freshman at Prescott College. Walsh said, “Every one of these teens is a winner. These Club kids have grown into positive community volunteers, great students, and kind young adults. They represent the very best of the 110,000 Club members around the State of Arizona.”
Kristina Chumpol, Senior Director of Community Relations of Fiesta Bowl Charities and herself the 2006 Arizona State Youth of the Year winner, announced this year’s recipients.
“Fiesta Bowl Charities is proud to support the State Youth of the Year Program for the Arizona Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs. As a sponsor for the last 20 years, we know the impact this program has on these young people – it is incredible. The members are incredibly inspiring with their perseverance and accomplishments. Boys & Girls Clubs are experts in youth development and through their programmatic work and relationships, they are making a true difference in these young people’s lives.”
All of the candidates previously competed at local levels to represent their individual Boys & Girls Club organizations before moving on to the state competition. Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Youth of the Year Program is a premier youth development recognition experience celebrating academic success, examples of leadership, and overall Club involvement. Teens must write multiple essays, participate in the interview process and deliver a three-minute speech highlighting the impact of their Club experience.
Congratulations to all of the Arizona State Youth of the Year candidates:
Zander G., Boys & Girls Clubs of the Colorado River
Anna V., Boys & Girls Clubs of Gila River Indian Community
Sydney F., Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale
Davonte M., Boys & Girls Clubs of Sierra Vista
Mariah A., Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson
Bailey M., Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley
Arizona Military Youth of the Year candidates:
Evie C., Davis-Monthan AFB Youth Program
Special thanks to the Arizona State Youth of the Year judges:
Michelle Pabis, Vice President of Government and Community Affairs at Honor Health
Kaitlin Harrier, Senior Education Policy Advisor for the State of Arizona
Alex Nash, Communications and Social Media Manager for Fiesta Bowl
Brittany Fuentes, National Manager of Customer Care at Toyota AND
Tom Boyle, Partner at Thalma, LLC
About the Arizona Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs:
The Arizona Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs (www.azabgc.org) is made up of 17 organizations from across the state, serving more than 114,000 kids and teens each year. The Alliance was formed in 2000 to increase the Club’s visibility in communities and to advocate for Arizona’s most vulnerable youth. Clubs offer programs and services promoting and enhancing the development of youth by instilling a sense of competence, usefulness, belonging, and influence. @AZABGC
PHOENIX (March 1, 2022) – It’s back and it’s better than ever. The Arizona Alliance for Boys & Girls Clubs is harnessing the power of Esports with the “NASCAR & Phoenix Raceway GamerThon™ for Good” tournament at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 11. This is the public tournament for anyone to sign up and play for free.
The e-sports tournament is an encore to the first-of-its-kind GamerThon hosted by BGCAZ last fall in partnership with Phoenix Raceway, NASCAR, Zelus Esports and the Arizona Lottery.
“Our NASCAR & Phoenix Raceway GamerThon™ for Good” is a great way for the public to learn more about Boys & Girls Clubs and participate in an e-sport they enjoy from home. We play Rocket League to celebrate NASCAR and ensure that our tournament can be enjoyed by all ages,” said Marcia Mintz, BGCAZ’s CEO.
Gamers will compete by playing in the hugely popular Rocket League, the high-powered esports version of soccer and it’s rated E for Everyone. Player will compete for a chance to win a variety of technology prizing; no purchase or donation necessary.
Along with the public tournament, youth from Clubs all around Arizona squared off in an internal GamerThon competition designed to ignite their interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) learning.
“STEM projects are a major area of focus in our Clubs,” Mintz said. “An Esports tournament tied to NASCAR is the ultimate STEM experience.”
COST: FREE to play. Donations welcome, with proceeds/donations benefitting the Arizona Alliance for Boys & Girls Clubs
WHO: The tournament is open to all, no age restrictions.
PRIZES: Players can win a variety of technology prizes.
About Arizona Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs
The Arizona Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs was formed in 2000 to increase the Club’s visibility in communities and to advocate for Arizona’s most vulnerable youth. Boys & Girls Clubs serve over 112,000 Arizona youth every year. Boys & Girls Clubs have proudly served Arizona youth with quality programs and services for more than 75 years. With 60+ locations around the state, Boys & Girls Clubs can be found in urban, suburban, and rural communities across Arizona, and military bases throughout the state.
Home to the 2022 NASCAR Championship Weekend, Phoenix Raceway has been the premier motorsports venue in the Southwest since 1964 and hosts two NASCAR race weekends each year. In 2022, the spring event weekend, March 11-13, kicks off the race season at Phoenix Raceway, featuring the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and ARCA Menards Series. For the third consecutive season, Phoenix Raceway will host the NASCAR Championship Weekend, Nov. 4-6. Over the three-day event, champions will be crowned in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the ARCA Menards Series West. Phoenix Raceway also hosts a variety of events throughout the year, including corporate meetings and conferences, charity events, weddings, holiday events, sport and endurance competitions, driving schools and Segway tours. For more information, visit www.PhoenixRaceway.com and download the new NASCAR Tracks App at www.phoenixraceway.com/nascar-tracks-app/.
About Zelus Esports
Powered by Rival’s unparalleled gaming platform and technology, Zelus delivers custom-designed, turnkey esports platforms that non-profits, media companies and brands license to build and grow their own gaming communities.
The Arizona Alliance for Boys & Girls Clubs is honored to receive a new $1 million investment in the social and emotional health programs that we offer to students around the State. Together, Arizona Clubs serve more than 110,000 youth in rural, urban and suburban communities; and, our members have struggled throughout the pandemic. Thanks to early investments from Governor Doug Ducey and the State of Arizona, tens of thousands of youth were able to access summer programs to help them stay on track with their academics and access SEL (Social Emotional Learning) modules under the care of trained Youth Development Professionals in Clubs.
Governor Ducey’s $1 million investment will support a one-year program that will provide up to 5,000 kids and teens with critical life and social-emotional skills training. The Arizona Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs will use the funding to support salaries of critical personnel, develop curricula, provide equipment such as computers and tablets, and more. We are grateful for the continued partnership and recognition of the effectiveness of these programs.
One of the key challenges facing schools and Boys & Girls Clubs around the State is transportation to Clubs. Today, A for Arizona awarded schools and districts around the State with grants from their Arizona Transportation Modernization Grant Program, a $20 million initiative to modernize K-12 transportation options and improve access to reliable and safe transportation for students.
Boys & Girls of Bisbee received a grant for $200,000 to purchase busses and vans to transport students; Vista College Prep was awarded $1 million to build a new collaborative and reliable transportation option with BGCAZ; and Avondale Elementary School District was awarded $150,000 to help connect their students to after school programs including Clubs. We are grateful to the team at A for Arizona for their recognition of these challenges and their investment in innovative solutions to help connect students to programs they need.
| | | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 8, 2021 | | | Governor Ducey Invests $1 Million To Support Arizona Boys & Girls Clubs | | | Program Will Help Kids Recover From Social And Emotional Impacts Of COVID-19 Pandemic | | | PHOENIX — Governor Doug Ducey today announced $1 million in federal funding to support the Arizona Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs in its efforts to help kids recover from the social and emotional implications of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’re working around the clock to get our kids caught up, but learning loss is just the beginning of the challenges they face,” said Governor Ducey. “Our kids also suffered socially and emotionally from being away from their classrooms, teachers and friends. Arizona’s kids missed out on a year of spending recess on a playground, participating in sports, learning how to engage with others and far too much more. Our Boys & Girls Clubs were critical in giving our kids a safe place to play and learn during the pandemic, and they will continue to be as we emerge from it. We’re dedicated to supporting Arizona’s Boys & Girls Clubs in their efforts to help our kids fully recover from a year as tough as last.”
Governor Ducey’s $1 million investment will support a one-year program that will provide up to 5,000 kids and teens with critical life and social-emotional skills training. The Arizona Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs will use the funding to support salaries of critical personnel, develop curricula, provide equipment such as computers and tablets, and more.
In this program, the Boys & Girls Clubs will use the Positive Action curriculum, which is designed to help youth address trauma, anxiety, depression, self-harm and more. They will also use a training called SMART (Skills Mastery and Resilience Training) Moves, which helps kids build social-emotional skills of self-regulation, impulse control and stress management. The Arizona Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs plans to deploy the program statewide using local clubs and youth development professionals.
“Our kids have been through so much, and we should do everything in our power to get them back on track,” said Josh Stine, Director of the Arizona Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs. “This investment will help us improve our kids’ emotional and mental wellness after all the devastation of last year. On behalf of all the Boys & Girls Clubs in Arizona, I want to thank Governor Ducey for helping us in our mission to give Arizona’s kids a better future.”
A March 2021 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention compared the activity of kids who learned virtually during the pandemic to kids who received in-person instruction. The study found that more parents whose kids learned virtually reported that their children experienced decreases in physical activity, time spent outside, in-person and virtual time with friends, and worsened mental or emotional health.
Local journalists have written in detail about the impact the pandemic has had on Arizona kids’ social and emotional wellness. One report points to a survey which found that over a third of kids aged 13–17 need emotional support. Another outlines a heightened increase in anxiety among Arizona’s Hispanic kids.
BACKGROUND Governor Ducey and the Arizona Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs partnered early on in the pandemic to ensure kids received the support and care they needed. In March 2020, Governor Ducey and the Arizona Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs announced emergency operational funding to support youth impacted by COVID-19 school closures. The partnership enabled state funding to compensate Boys & Girls Clubs to provide expanded services to Arizona families. Through this partnership, Boys & Girls Clubs in Arizona extended youth development program hours to accommodate youth members and children of health care workers, public safety professionals and those from other essential industries impacted by school closures.
In May 2020, Governor Ducey allocated $500,000 to organizations like the Arizona Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs that provide out-of-school child care in the state. The funding supported extended hours and enrichment programs to meet the increased demand of child care for families while students learned virtually and parents or guardians worked.
In April 2021, Governor Ducey invested $5 million to fund summer programs held by Arizona Boys & Girls Clubs. The funding covered scholarships to serve 4,000 youth per week for eight weeks, at locations all across Arizona. | | | ###
Program Will Help Kids Recover From Social And Emotional Impacts Of COVID-19 Pandemic
PHOENIX — Governor Doug Ducey today announced $1 million in federal funding to support the Arizona Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs in its efforts to help kids recover from the social and emotional implications of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’re working around the clock to get our kids caught up, but learning loss is just the beginning of the challenges they face,” said Governor Ducey. “Our kids also suffered socially and emotionally from being away from their classrooms, teachers and friends. Arizona’s kids missed out on a year of spending recess on a playground, participating in sports, learning how to engage with others and far too much more. Our Boys & Girls Clubs were critical in giving our kids a safe place to play and learn during the pandemic, and they will continue to be as we emerge from it. We’re dedicated to supporting Arizona’s Boys & Girls Clubs in their efforts to help our kids fully recover from a year as tough as last.”
Governor Ducey’s $1 million investment will support a one-year program that will provide up to 5,000 kids and teens with critical life and social-emotional skills training. The Arizona Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs will use the funding to support salaries of critical personnel, develop curricula, provide equipment such as computers and tablets, and more.
In this program, the Boys & Girls Clubs will use the Positive Action curriculum, which is designed to help youth address trauma, anxiety, depression, self-harm and more. They will also use a training called SMART (Skills Mastery and Resilience Training) Moves, which helps kids build social-emotional skills of self-regulation, impulse control and stress management. The Arizona Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs plans to deploy the program statewide using local clubs and youth development professionals.
“Our kids have been through so much, and we should do everything in our power to get them back on track,” said Josh Stine, Director of the Arizona Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs. “This investment will help us improve our kids’ emotional and mental wellness after all the devastation of last year. On behalf of all the Boys & Girls Clubs in Arizona, I want to thank Governor Ducey for helping us in our mission to give Arizona’s kids a better future.”
A March 2021 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention compared the activity of kids who learned virtually during the pandemic to kids who received in-person instruction. The study found that more parents whose kids learned virtually reported that their children experienced decreases in physical activity, time spent outside, in-person and virtual time with friends, and worsened mental or emotional health.
Local journalists have written in detail about the impact the pandemic has had on Arizona kids’ social and emotional wellness. One report points to a survey which found that over a third of kids aged 13–17 need emotional support. Another outlines a heightened increase in anxiety among Arizona’s Hispanic kids.
BACKGROUND Governor Ducey and the Arizona Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs partnered early on in the pandemic to ensure kids received the support and care they needed. In March 2020, Governor Ducey and the Arizona Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs announced emergency operational funding to support youth impacted by COVID-19 school closures. The partnership enabled state funding to compensate Boys & Girls Clubs to provide expanded services to Arizona families. Through this partnership, Boys & Girls Clubs in Arizona extended youth development program hours to accommodate youth members and children of health care workers, public safety professionals and those from other essential industries impacted by school closures.
In May 2020, Governor Ducey allocated $500,000 to organizations like the Arizona Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs that provide out-of-school child care in the state. The funding supported extended hours and enrichment programs to meet the increased demand of child care for families while students learned virtually and parents or guardians worked.
In April 2021, Governor Ducey invested $5 million to fund summer programs held by Arizona Boys & Girls Clubs. The funding covered scholarships to serve 4,000 youth per week for eight weeks, at locations all across Arizona.
PHOENIX, AZ – Selected from a field of six candidates from Boys & Girls Clubs organizations around the state, Vakentae Cooks, from Phoenix’s I.G. Homes Branch, was named the 2021 Arizona State Youth of the Year. Serenity Gordon Odai, from Davis Monthan AFB Youth Programs, received the 2021 Arizona State Military Youth of the Year top honors.
The Youth of the Year title is a prestigious honor bestowed upon an exemplary young person in recognition of leadership, service, academic excellence and dedication to live a healthy lifestyle. Now in its 74th year, the Youth of the Year program honors our nation’s most awe-inspiring young people on their path to great futures. As the ArizonaYouth of the Year, Vakentae will serve as an ambassador for all teens in the State, will receive a $2,500 college scholarship from Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and will go on to contend for the regional Youth of the Year and ultimately the national title.
Although Vakentae has only been a Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley Club member for two years, he has quickly become a positive leader and influencer among the other Club teens. He is the president of the Keystone Club and was a member of the Black Student Union at the Metropolitan Arts Institute. He’s currently a senior at Central High School. He has also participated in Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley’s workforce development program, AZYouthforce, where he interned at Talking Stick Resort/Arena. He was the first intern to be hired on as a Guest Relations Ambassador from the internship program. He plans to attend Prescott College and will work towards a bachelor’s and master’s degree in education and psychology to become an English teacher and author. He hopes to use this career to assist young adults deal with often overlooked mental health issues by teaching them better comprehension skills and how to express themselves in written form.
Serenity has been a Club member for 11 years and has had a positive impact on her community. She’s a member of Torch Club, Keystone, Smart Girls and Teen Council. She’s been a teen ambassador, tutor and served in many volunteer roles in her Clubs. She plans to graduate and attend Grand Canyon University to study Zoology.
“We are incredibly proud of Vakentae and all the Youth of the Year nominees,” said Jim Clark, president and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of America. “Being named Youth of the Year is a lifelong honor. As the Arizona’s Youth of the Year, Vakentae will serve as a spokesperson for Boys & Girls Club kids and teens across the state who need more role models that they can admire and emulate.”
This summer, Vakentae and Serenity will join other state winners to vie for the Southwest Region regional title. If named the regional winner, he will be awarded an additional $20,000 college scholarship. Six youth, including five regional winners and a military youth winner, will advance to the virtual National Youth of the Year event in October 2021 to compete for the title of Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s National Youth of the Year. The National Youth of the Year will receive an additional scholarship of $50,000 and a brand-new Toyota Corolla.
Arizona State Youth of the Year judges:
Matt Gress
Director at the Arizona Governor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Budgeting
The Honorable Lea Márquez Peterson, MBA
Chairwoman, Arizona Corporation Commission and President, Márquez Peterson Group, LLC
Brenda Puga
Community Relations Coordinator, Fiesta Bowl Charities
Jacob Lounsbury
Director of Global Partnerships, SciTech Institute
Dr. Jeremy Babendure
Executive Director, SciTech Institute
Associate Research Professor, ASU School for Future of Innovation in Society
There are 60+ Boys & Girls Clubs Sites in Arizona. Boys & Girls Clubs can be found in urban, suburban, and rural communities across Arizona, and military bases throughout the State.
Clubs employ more than 890 dedicated staff serving 112,883 youth. 67% of our members are ages 12 and younger, 62% represent minority races or ethnicities, and one-third live in single-parent households. Clubs work to create equity and opportunity for youth through programs that create pathways to academic, career and workforce opportunities and achievement. Clubs help young people make healthy decisions and focus on social and emotional development to build resilient young adults. Most importantly, Clubs work to develop strong character and leadership skills by creating positive connections to caring adults. azabgc.org/azyoy
About Youth of the Year.
Founded in 1947 as Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s premier youth recognition program, Youth of the Year recognizes outstanding contributions to a member’s family, school, community and Boys & Girls Club. The Youth of the Year program is supported by Toyota and Mondelēz. As the Signature Sponsor of Youth of the Year, Toyota is committed to partnering with Boys & Girls Clubs of America to ensure local Clubs provide life-enhancing opportunities for kids and teens to explore, develop and apply the essential skills they need to be successful in life and work. As the Lead Sponsor of Youth of the Year, Mondelēz International, will engage with local Clubs year-round to help foster a new generation of leaders prepared to live in and lead a diverse global economy. Youth of the Year representatives are the workforce leaders, innovators and problem-solvers of tomorrow.
18 Arizona Nonprofits With Focus on Food Services and Youth Programming to Receive Emergency Relief
SCOTTSDALE, AZ – With the severe demands in Arizona due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Fiesta Bowl Charities is helping communities across the state meet their incredible needs. The Fiesta Bowl is providing $1 million to fill gaps for food services and youth programming that are nonprofits’ biggest shortfalls.
Fiesta Bowl Charities is extending direct funding to 18 nonprofit organizations on the front lines struggling to match the emergent needs. These organizations serve throughout the state – in the Phoenix metro, plus Tucson, Nogales, southern Arizona, Casa Grande, Prescott, Flagstaff, Navajo Nation.
The $1 million will be utilized by those in food services (A New Leaf, Amanda Hope Rainbow Angels, Children’s Cancer Network, Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona, Desert Mission Food Bank, Maggie’s Place, Matthew’s Crossing, Homeward Bound, St. Mary’s Food Bank, St. Vincent de Paul and UMOM) and youth programming (Boys and Girls Clubs of the Valley, Casa Grande, Flagstaff, Prescott and Tucson; Child Crisis Arizona and YMCA Valley of the Sun).
Quick facts about Fiesta Bowl Charities:
$3 million in charitable giving for 2019-20 season
$10 million in charitable giving over last four years
$15.5 million in charitable giving over last nine years
