The Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Phoenix is pleased to announce the retirement of Tony Sokolowski after 34 years of service.

During his tenure, Tony held numerous important positions, from Branch Manager to Operations Director of Club Facilities. He has coordinated a number of fundraising events ranging from golf tournaments to wine tastes. Tony also served as the liaison to the Executive Council, a major fundraising arm of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Phoenix, for the past 26 years.

Tony’s immediate plans are to travel, read and relax for a few months. He will also continue his involvement in various community activities. We thank him for his years of service and wish him the best!

Everyone knows that the Phoenix Suns are on fire, but you may not know that the Jr. Suns are just as hot!

On Monday, April 12, members from the Louis & Elizabeth Sands Branch, the I.G. Homes Branch and the Spencer D. & Mary Jane Stewart Branch all took home championship trophies from the Jr. Suns/FS Arizona Basketball League Championship Tournament held at the U.S. Airways Center.

The kids had a blast playing on the home court of the Phoenix Suns. One member even scored an NBA 3-point shot! Thank you to Fox Sports Arizona, for once again sponsoring the Jr. Suns League for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Phoenix. Go Suns!

Real golfers don’t mind a little heat— they just love the game! If you’re one of these golfers, join us for the hottest golf event this summer, and support the kids at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Phoenix.

Click here to purchase a foursome or to see other sponsorship opportunities.

Friday, June 25, 2010
7:30 a.m. Shotgun start
The Legacy Golf Resort
6808 S. 32nd Street, Phoenix

For more information call 602-954-8182

This year’s Techathalon event hosted about 250 Club members from three different states. The kids took part in competition designed to develop an interest in math, science and technology through the use of practical, yet fun activities. Those activities included an egg drop championship, financial olympics, digital scavenger hunt, and shoebox glider competition.

We are proud to say that the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Phoenix was represented well and brought home four different awards for excellence in the competition. Congratulations to all the participants in this year’s Techathalon!

The Jerry Colangelo Branch recently hosted a Family Fun Night on April 23rd for nearly 60 kids and parents. This was an opportunity for Club members to bring their entire family into the Club for some much needed quality time.

The night was full of fun activities including a game of indoor kickball and a delicious Italian dinner compliments of Red Devil Restaurant. Everyone left with a smile on their face and were already inquiring about the next Family Fun Night event.

Throughout the month of April, two RN-BSN students from the ASU College of Nursing & Health Innovation completed their Community Health Practicum at the Warner A. Gabel Branch. Caroline Nguyen and Jessie Francisco spent thirty-two hours with Club members teaching the Healthy Habits curriculum, basic first aid, water safety and talking about nursing careers. The program was a great success, Caroline and Jessie were fantastic, and we look forward to more nursing students participating in the Clubs soon.

These are some of the activities that take place in our Clubs. For more information about activities at a Club near you, call 602-954-8182.

May
Visit the Phoenix Art Museum during the month of May to view art masterpieces created by Club kids. Nearly 60 pieces are on display in the Children’s Museum, showcasing the artistic skills and talents of Club kids ranging in ages 6-18. Thank you to our Art Program donors including: Arizona Commission on the Arts, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Scottsdale League for the Arts, Target & Valley of the Sun United Way.

May 17-21
The Tri-city West/Thornwood Branch will engage Club members in discussions around healthy habits. They will learn the importance of good nutrition, regular exercise, and making healthy lifestyle choices.

May 25-27
Starting May 25th, kids at the Jerry & Helen Wisotsky/Peoria Branch will be participating in the NetSmartz program where they will learn Internet safety skills through engaging multimedia activities and offline interaction with Club staff. Topics include the dangers of the internet, social networking sites and giving out personal information. This is an important safety program that each member must complete in order to utilize Club computers.

There are a variety of other activities going on throughout the month. Click here to find the Club nearest you.

Mahalo Mondays
Hula’s Modern Tiki, in partnership with Phoenix Councilman Tom Simplot, is proud to announce Mahalo Mondays. Each Monday in the month of May, Hula’s will donate 10% of the day’s gross proceeds to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Phoenix.

Please visit Hula's website for more information.

The Big Event
June 5, 2010
5th Avenue & Madison Event Center
5:30-9:30pm
Ticket price: $75
Click here for tickets and sponsorship opportunities

Heat Stroke Classic
June 25, 2010
Legacy Golf Course
Foursome price: $500
Click here to register or for sponsorship opportunities.

For more info on these events, call (602) 954-8182 or visit www.bgcmp.org 

This month’s Character Counts Kid of the Month comes to us from the Jerry & Helen Wisotsky/Peoria Branch. Sabrina is a freshman at Peoria High School where she keeps good grades and also participates in the Junior ROTC program.

Sabrina is a fixture at the Club and can often be found volunteering in the library reading with younger members. Although she is quiet, she has made quite an impact on many of her peers with her example of hard work and caring for others.

Congratulations Sabrina for being named this month’s Character Counts Kid of the Month!

Click here to see Sabrina making a difference at her Club.

Thank you to our passionate sports enthusiasts that have supported the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Phoenix’s successful basketball program for many years!  Acting as coaches, assistants, and referees these volunteers instill the values of fair play and good sportsmanship while teaching BGCMP members essential games skills and fundamentals. 
           
Seventy-five dedicated volunteers generously gave their time, talent and energy this winter to support this year’s basketball league.  Each volunteer made a personal commitment to organize and run weekly practice sessions and league sponsored games. The season culminated in tournament play on the Phoenix Suns home court at the US Airways Arena.
           
Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Phoenix members and staff thank all the volunteers for this year’s successful Jr. Suns/FS Arizona basketball league. We couldn't have done it without you!

To learn more about volunteer opportunities, please visit the Volunteer Page of our website.

Do you own stock that was purchased a number of years ago? Perhaps overall it was a good investment, but you are now uncertain about leaving your savings in the market where it could go up or down? Are you looking for security for your retirement plan and want to know that you will have the income you need, when you need it?

A good choice might be to set up a gift annuity with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Phoenix. A gift annuity is a great way to secure your finances for the future, but also helps the future of our Valley's youth.

If you would like to learn more about our planned giving program, please call (602) 954-8182 or e-mail Brad at bkuluris@bgcmp.org.