By Andrea Omer
Marketing Communications Manager, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale’s Vestar Branch was recently chosen from nearly 4,000 chartered clubs as the top branch of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA). The award was recently given to the Vestar Branch at the non-profits national conference held in San Diego, Calif.
“This award is a tremendous honor,” says Caitlin Sageng, Vestar Branch Director. “It is also a direct reflection of how hard our staff works every day to make sure our youth receive the programming they need to reach their full potential.”
The award was given to the Vestar Branch as determined by entries submitted in each of BGCA’s five core program categories: character and leadership development; education and career development; health and life skills;
the arts; and sports, fitness
and recreation.
The Vestar Branch’s main programming objectives are to empower youth to better themselves, their club and the community. Some of the different programs that provide varied and unique opportunities for their members include:
• Adopt-a-Family – supports over 91 kids and parents in need at the organization
• Primal Fitness program – reinforces members fitness knowledge and nutrition levels
• The Keystone Club –
this teen group focuses on community service including volunteering monthly at a local food bank and assisting with homeless shelters
• Power Hour – an academic program that helps youth reach their educational
potential and set goals throughout the school year
• Drama Club – encourages club members self-esteem by preforming plays like Alice in Wonderland during summer programming
• Center for Telepresence – through this high tech center youth can connect, communicate and learn
from experts around the world in a variety of fields
“We feel the best way to make the Vestar Branch successful in our community is by offering quality programs to youth and maintaining a positive connection between members and staff,” says Caitlin. “These relationships transcend through all programs and keep members coming back more and most importantly, allow us to have a lasting impact.”
In addition to the award, the Vestar Branch also received a $5,000 award from MetLife Foundation, sponsor of the awards program, which honors local Clubs for innovative, effective programming leading youth to a great future.
This is also the second time a Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale Branch has been given the honor – the organization’s Virginia G. Piper Branch also received the award in 2009.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale provides 16,000 Valley children and teenagers with a positive, supervised and fun environment to explore the power of their potential. The Clubs offer more than 100 youth development programs emphasizing five core areas including: the arts; character and leadership development; education and career development; health & life skills; and sports, fitness and recreation. The organization’s nine branches and 12 outreach sites are located in Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Salt River Pima-Maricopa and Hualapai Indian Communities and other Northeast Valley neighborhoods. For more information, visit www.bgcs.org.
