FEATURE STORIES

• Youth of the Year on NBC Special
• New York Life Supports W.J. Oakes Learning Center
• Gateway donates computers
• Club expands services in North County
• Project Learn boosts academic performance
• Clubs celebrate KidsDay
• Board Profile: Sharon Payne

Linda Vista Youth of Year on NBC Special

"EVERY MOMENT COUNTS" CAPTURES IMPACT OF PGA TOUR A doctor and his wife dedicate themselves to repairing facial disfigurements in third-world countries. A young boy from war-torn Somalia finds the necessary guidance to learn a new language and settle into a normal life in America. A gravely sick child is granted a selfless wish that benefits the children in his neighborhood. Exceptional people, extraordinary stories. It's a message that resonates throughout the communities in which the PGA TOUR plays. Every Moment Counts, a one-hour special airing on NBC Sunday, December 15 at 1 p.m. ET, documents these and other examples of how lives are impacted through the hundreds of charities supported by TOUR events each year. Narrated by Emmy Award-winning actor John Spencer from The West Wing and produced by PGA TOUR Productions, Every Moment Counts recaps special moments from the 2002 PGA TOUR season and highlights several charities, including the Boys & Girls Club of Greater San Diego and our Linda Vista Youth of the Year, Ahmed Farah. Ahmed Farah came to America in search of a new home. Little did he know that he'd find it at the Boys & Girls Clubs of San Diego, where he since has given even more than he has received. Click here to find our more about Ahmed.

New York Life supports W.J. Oakes Learning Center

The William J. Oakes Branch celebrated the opening of a new learning center, funded by the New York Life Foundation. The creation of the learning center is part of a $1.3 million grant to establish 15 learning centers at Boys & Girls Clubs across the country. "The New York Life Foundation's mission is focused on 'Nurturing the Children', so our partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America makes perfect sense, given this superb organization's track record for helping our children learn and grow in safe environments," said Tony Montalvo, Partner, New York Life. "Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego provides a safe haven for at-risk children in our community to lern and interact with others," continued Montalvo (pictured left with Branch Director Ruben Padilla).

Gateway Donates Computers

Gateway, Inc. announced at the Clairemont Branch of the Boys & Girls Clubs that it has teamed up with Boys & Girls Clubs of America to fulfill the company's pledge to donate the PCs and servers that flawlessly powered the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. Designed to provide young people with the tools to help them realize their full potential, the sponsorship's first initiative will be Gateway's donation of 3000 PCs and servers, which will be distributed to Boys & Girls Clubs across the country. On hand to join in with the announcement was Mayor Dick Murphy and a favorite of all the youth at the celebration, Chargers Linebacker Junior Seau. "Today, you're seeing Gateway's vision of improving people's lives through technology come to life," said Ted Waitt, Gateway's chairman and chief executive officer (pictured, center). "At the Olympic Winter Games, Gateway emerged as a winner by providing flawless service. The donation we're announcing today makes kids in Boys & Girls Clubs across the country the real winners."

Club expands services in North County

Channeling all that youthful energy into areas that will best benefit youth and our communities is the mission of our "Critical Hours" program that has just been expanded to three more sites as a result of a grant worth $150,000 a year. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego now offers the program at its Mitchell Branch and at Hidden Valley Middle School, both in Escondido. The program also is being offered at the Fallbrook Branch of the Boys & Girls Clubs of North County, under an arrangement between our Club and that organization. This brings to eight sites where this juvenile delinquency prevention program, which targets youth in the sixth to eighth grades, is being held under our club's direction. The other sites are Del Dios and Grant middle schools in Escondido; our Valley Center Branch; Meadowbrook Middle School in Poway; and at our Encanto Branch, in San Diego. The program derives its name from the "critical hours" between the time when school is over and parents get home from work, a time when 50% of all juvenile crime occurs. The "Critical Hours" program, which is offered on school days (including summer school days), from the time school lets out until early evening, helps to street-proof at-risk youth by involving them in activities that develop positive interests and values as well as pre-employment skills, including computer skills.

Project Learn boosts academic performance

With donations reaching almost $30,000, we have been able to boost our Project Learn program, which targets academically at-risk Club members by providing them with fun, creative, hands-on learning experiences in traditional and non-traditional settings. The Club now offers the program at our Linda Vista Branch, the Oakes Branch in Logan Heights, the Mitchell and Baker branches in Escondido, the Valley Center Branch, Borrego Springs Branch, Ramona Branch and at Meadowbrook Middle School in Poway. Project Learn is a Boys & Girls Clubs of America nationally tested approach to educational enhancement. The five major components are homework help and tutoring, high-yield learning and leisure activities, parent support, collaboration with schools and incentives for positive academic participation. Project Learn activities can include computer lab, Power Hour homework assistance and tutoring, learning games and contests, science experiments, multicultural events, creative writing activities, cultural arts and crafts, projects and Family Nights. National findings for participants show these results: 15% higher overall grade-point-average (gpa) 16% higher gpa in math 20% higher gpa in history 14% higher gpa in science 20% higher gpa in spelling

Clubs Celebrate National KidsDay

More than 800 youth and their families celebrated National KidsDay in August at a Qualcomm Stadium tailgate bash. Hosted by the San Diego Padres and KyXy Radio, youth and thier families were treated to live entertainment food and free tickets to a Padres game. The goal for National KidsDay is for adults and kids to spend meaningful time together. According to the study "Ask the Children" by Ellen Galinsky, president/co-founder of the Families and Work Institute, 44.5 percent of kids say that time with Mom is rushed, and 37 percent say the same is true with Dad. Children in the study gave higher marks to their parents when the time spent together was not rushed but focused and rich in shared activities. Leading the effort to establish National KidsDay is the National KidsDay Alliance, comprised of Boys & Girls Clubs of America, KidsPeace and other youth serving organizations. Locally, San Diego county branches of the Boys & Girls Clubs, Campfire USA and Boy Scouts planned the pre-game party at Qualcomm Stadium prior to the Padres v. Cincinnati game on Sunday, August 4th.

Board Profile: Sharon Payne

Wanted: a motivated and enthusiastic individual to direct a large fundraising event. Must be skilled in the recruitment and management of volunteers, solicitation of donations and organization of decorations, entertainment, food/beverages and printed materials. Oral and written communication skills are highly desirable. Must be willing to work long hours without compensation and be on call at all times for decision-making, manual labor, meetings, putting out "fires," soothing panicky co-workers, etc. For more information call (619) 298-3520. The Boys & Girls Club didn't advertise for a chairperson for the recent Golden Achievement Award Dinner. Instead, we walked down the hall and knocked on the door of one of our most dynamic volunteers-Sharon Payne. She possessed all of the talents we needed, plus an important intangible-a deep passion for the Club's mission to serve youth. Sharon is a second-generation supporter of the Boys & Girls Club. Her father received the Golden Achievement Award in 1979. A native of San Diego, she graduated from the University of San Diego with a degree in business. She is a certified financial planner and owner of 1st Affirmative Financial Network since 1995. Sharon's leadership skills were recognized with her election to the Boys & Girls Club's Metro Region Board of Directors in 2000 and Board of Governors in 2002. She currently serves as chair-elect of the Directors and secretary of the Governors.