Boys & Girls Clubs of America Celebrates 4 Million Kids Served With National Boys & Girls Club Week

ATLANTA, March 24, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- This week more than 4,000 Boys & Girls Clubs across the country and on U.S. military installations around the world will celebrate National Boys & Girls Club Week. The week-long celebration, generously supported by Lowe's and Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores, calls attention to the important role Boys & Girls Clubs play in advancing the success of nearly 4 million young people. This year's theme – Open the door. Take the tour. – encourages communities, families and supporters of Club members to experience first-hand how Boys & Girls Clubs make a difference in the lives of young people. Clubs will host activities including Club tours, open houses and other community events to showcase the various programs they provide.

"National Boys & Girls Club Week is the time we shine the spotlight on the magic that happens inside our Clubs every day," said Jim Clark, president and CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of America. "Our Clubs provide engaging, world-class after-school experiences to assure success is within reach of every child who enters our doors. We encourage people to open the door and take the tour at their local Club during this exciting week."

Support Boys & Girls Clubs
During National Boys & Girls Club Week, supporters can visit greatfutures.org/bgcweek to take a virtual Club tour. Viewers can travel through actual rooms that are inside local Clubs and discover how Clubs help young people reach their full potential.  At the end of the tour, participants can register for a chance to win Lowe's or Jo-Ann Fabric gift cards for themselves and the Club of their choice. In addition, Boys & Girls Club supporters can stop at their local Jo-Ann Fabric store from now until April 5 and purchase a pin-up for $1 upon checkout. 100 percent of the proceeds will be donated to Boys & Girls Clubs of America. "Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores is proud to support Boys & Girls Clubs of America and its mission to advance the young people who need us most," added Beth Shivak, manager of special events for Jo-Ann.

Greatfutures.org/bgcweek also features videos of prominent alumni, including Shaun White, Denzel Washington, Jennifer Lopez, Shaquille O'Neal, and others sharing their personal Boys & Girls Club experiences.

Vote and Open the Door for Club Improvements
As part of National Boys & Girls Club Week, nearly 400 Boys & Girls Clubs decorated Club doors with the theme: "Why Great Futures Start at Boys & Girls Clubs." Six entries were selected to compete in a contest at bgca.org/clubtour for a chance to win a $5,000 gift card from Lowe's to use toward making improvements to the Club's facilities. The public is invited to vote for their favorite selection. The finalists are:

• Boys and Girls Club of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, Conehatta, Miss.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of the Wiregrass - McMullan Unit, Dothan, Ala.
• Boys & Girls Club of Wharton Dobson Youth Center, Wharton, Texas
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale - Thunderbirds Unit, Scottsdale, Ariz.
• Boys & Girls Club of Oak Harbor, Oak Harbor, Wash.
• Boys & Girls Club of San Antonio - Crestholme Unit, San Antonio, Texas

About Boys & Girls Clubs of America
For more than 100 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America has enabled young people most in need to achieve great futures as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Today, more than 4,000 Clubs serve nearly 4 million young people annually through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs are located in cities, towns, public housing and on Native lands throughout the country, and serve military families in BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide. They provide a safe place, caring adult mentors, fun, friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Priority programs emphasize academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles. In a Harris Survey of alumni, 57 percent said the Club saved their lives. National headquarters are located in Atlanta. To learn more about programs and activities offered by Boys & Girls Clubs across the country, visit www.bgca.org.

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SOURCE Boys & Girls Clubs of America

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