[TUCSON, ARIZONA, January 12th] The Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson (BGCT) has raised $1 million to support their work with Tucson’s most in-need youth.
The monies were raised at BGCT’s November event titled Party with a Purpose. During the auction and sweeps guests bid on donated items including trips and special perks for fans of UA Basketball. The event was emceed by Jim Click and Edmund Marquez of Allstate, both longtime supporters of the organization’s mission, and was held in honor of Lute Olson, with Kelly Olson being present as one of the guests of honor. The final tally was calculated late last week.
The monies will be put towards the many expenses involved in running six locations across the city of Tucson. The organization’s membership fee for families is $20 for the school year per youth, while the true cost is $2,850 per child. Funds raised from Party with a Purpose will empower the organization to continue investing in the talented youth development personnel it employs who support members in a variety of ways including homework help, mental health, sports and wellness, leadership skills, and more. Enrolled youth also receive a nutritious hot dinner each night the locations are open at no extra charge, and internal data reveals that for some youth this is their only meal of the day.
From its 2022 data, over 90% of the organization’s 2700 youth members served come from low-income households, 85% belong to traditionally underserved minority ethnicities/races, 72% qualify for free/reduced school lunches, and 45% live in single-parent homes. With an operating budget of $4.4 million this year BGCT relies heavily on support from the Tucson community to keep its doors open for its work with Tucson’s youth.
For 65 years the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson has helped keep thousands of local children involved in after school and summer programming. The Clubs have resumed regular after school programming, offering daily access to a broad range of programs in five core areas: Character and Leadership Development; Education and Career Development; Health & Life Skills; The Arts; and Sports, Fitness, and Recreation.The organization currently serves youth ages 7-18 at its six local Clubhouse locations. Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson is a qualifying charity for the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit (QCO 20282).
To find out more about Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson, visit bgctucson.org or call (520) 573-3533.
Posted by the Entertainment Magazine
Supporting Quotes for this Release:
“2022 was a powerhouse year for the needs of Tucson’s youth. Emerging from the challenges of 2020 and 2021, as well as battling rising inflation costs and economic uncertainties, the families and communities we serve are encountering difficult circumstances many of us cannot grasp. Our extraordinary night at Party with a Purpose shows us how relevant and important our mission is to Tucson’s most in-need youth. Please consider supporting our work as we continue to champion for the youth we serve and our efforts to see them be academically successful, gain the skills to land a dream job, and develop the character to live as productive, caring citizens.” -Denise Watters, CEO
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