FEATURE STORIES

• Home Depot helps kids with Soap Box Derby
• Holland Conneely receives leadership award
• MCAA Golf Clinics
• Club members hold SMART Moves anti-tobacco rally and dance
• Getting Vertical in Borrego Badlands
• Ground broken for Sulpizio Family Branch
• Padres donate $25,000
• CHARGER POWER!
• Teens attend national leadership conference

Home Depot sponsors Soap Box Derby

Home Depot donated 20 cars (and race fees) to Boys & Girls Club members to compete in the local Soap Box Derby. Youth from Linda Vista, Oakes, Encanto, Ramona, Borrego, Santa Margarita and Market Street competed. Brian Sandoval, from the Oakes Branch, won a trip to Akron, Ohio to compete in the national soap box derby. All expensesto be paid by Home Depot! The kids had a blast. What made the event even more meaningful was the support provided by Home Depot staff. Volunteers gave up their time to help disadvantaged youngsters learn how to build and race thier own cars.

Holland Conneely Receives Leadership Award

Two years ago, the Middle Managers Committee created the Excellence In Leadership Award to recognize middle managers who make a strong and positive impact on the kids, their clubs and their community. To be eligible, candidates must hold a management position and have been involved in the Movement for at least 2 years. Candidates were nominated by their supervisors or colleagues. The winner was selected by a committee of local Executive Directors/CEOs. There are many outstanding professionals in the County, but one stood out above the rest to receive the award for 2003. This year's recipient has been involved with Boys & Girls Clubs for over 17 years. She works in a community with many challenges: a high percentage of low-income families, a high percentage of immigrant families, and gang activity. Despite all this, this professional has made her branch a safe, fun and positive place. Her accomplishments have had a positive impact on the community beyond the Club as well. About 18 months ago, she turned her efforts to expanding club programs into a local Housing Site. There were many obstacles: Funds were very limited. Parents had a mistrust of anyone they didn't know. Language was a barrier for some. But she knew that the kids in the site needed the services. Every week, she brought art programs, Torch Club and Keystone to the members. Power Hour was offered every day. Field trips to the "main branch" were coordinated to allow housing site members to participate in athletic programs and special events. The greatest triumph was probably when four members from the Keystone Club were able to travel to Anaheim for the National Convention using funds that they had raised. She has also been the visionary behind the Teen Center that will be added to her branch over the next year. It had been a dream since she started at the Club. She has worked over the past three years with community leaders and grant writers to raise over $1.5 million for the project. By Summer 2004 her dream will be a reality. Her supervisors say, "Watching Holland interact with members is amazing. She has great relationships with them and the mutual respect and admiration is evident. Holland will put in whatever time is necessary to make her programs successful. She believes in the mission and the philosophy of the club and is a great ambassador for the organization."

Mult-Cultural Golf Association of America Golf Clinic

More than 25 members from the Mitchell Branch, Baker Branch and Market Street Housing site participated in a Golf Clinic sponsored by the Mult-Cultural Golf Association of America. Held in March at the Vineyard Golf Course in Escondido, members received instruction from 5 different golf pros. On hand to provide inspiration and excitement was former Charger Carl Wilson. Participants worked on putting, chipping, and driving and the clinic ended with a skills contest in all three of these areas. Three members took home 1st place trophies, four took home 2nd place trophies, and three took home 3rd place trophies. Graduates of the clinic received a golf bag and clubs. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego wishes to thank the Multi-Cultural Golf Association of America (MGAA) for providing our members with a memorable experience. Established in 1991, MGAA's mission is to make golf available and accessible to all people, with the belief that learning the game of golf leads to positive character development, self-discipline, academic achievement, self-reliance, creativity, imagination, principles, values, and a balanced approach for the youth of America.

Club members hold SMART Moves anti-tobacco rally and dance

On Sunday, February 9 more than 300 members from the five metro clubs attended an anti-smoking dance and rally held at the Clarion Hotel in downtown San Diego. The event was part of the Boys & Girls Clubs SMART Moves Program funded by the County of San Diego, Health & Human Services Agency. Club members from all over the City of of San Diego participated in a host of anti-tobacco themed events including a poster contest, dance contest, rap contest, and carnival games with an anti-tobacco theme. What made the event special is the fact that the entire dance was organized by a group of Club peer leaders who have been educating younger Club members on the dangers of tobacco. The peer leaders spent more than five months planning the event and deserve much credit for organizing a fun event that had a postive message. Special thanks to the San Diego Urban Patrol for providing FREE security for the event!

Getting Vertical in Borrego Badlands

“Grab your skateboard and go sidewalk surfin’ with me,” is what Jan & Dean back in the ’60s, but they probably never envisioned what has happened with this sport. They worried mostly about cracks in the sidewalk, adjacent bushes, curves and intersections. Helmets and kneepads weren’t even a consideration. Fast-forward to the 26,000 square-foot Borrego Badlands skate park that is part of our new Borrego Springs Clubhouse—where “getting vertical” is the operative goal. How high can you go?! Unlike their ’60s’ counterparts, these young athletes wear helmets, many wear protective pads for their knees and elbows. There aren’t any cracks or bushes to worry about, but there sure are a lot of curves, bowls, ridges and sloping walls, some quite steep. More than 400 people were at the Club on January 11 when the new clubhouse and the skate park opened with a great deal of fanfare. On hand were local youth, as well as professional champion skaters, who were there to try out the skate park designed by former pro Mike McIntyre. Among those there that day were five-time X Games champion Andy McDonald and members of Orange County’s Team Goon professional skate team. The pros gave it everything they had, and proclaimed the park a winner in all ways. It has since been written up in several skaters’ magazines as one of the ultimate places to “get vertical.” In addition to the skate park, the 2,200-square-foot Clubhouse also was opened that day. The $1.5-million project was funded primarily through donations from the Burnand Medical and Educational Foundation, the Kiewitt and Offield foundations and the R. Stanton Avery Foundation. The donation of 10 acres of land from the Kuhrts’ and Burnand families provided the site. The park was built by KS Stratton Construction in Ramona. Prior to the opening of these facilities, the Boys & Girls Club operated out of a 1,000-square-foot modular building at the high school. The effort to fund, build and open the permanent facilities took several years, including 14 months of construction. Special thanks to the donors,volunteers and staff, who made it possible. Click Here for the Official Borrego Springs Web site This park was designed by SITE Design Group, go check out their site at www.sitedesigngroup.com

Ground broken for Sulpizio Family Branch

Ground was broken in Community Park in Poway for the newest branch of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego in a festive ceremony held October 30. The event included an announcement by Campaign Chair Linda Vanderveen that the clubhouse will be named the Sulpizio Family Branch in honor of 18-year Poway residents Gaby and Rich Sulpizio, who made a $1 million dollar gift to the project. It also was announced that the capital campaign for the Sulpizio Family Branch, which is scheduled to open in time for the 2003-2004 school year, has reached $2.5-million toward its $3-million goal. Supporters Carol and William Stensrud recently gave $100,000 to the project and the Club's Computer Center will be named in their honor. Other major donors who have selected naming opportunities include Lynn and Lloyd Wells, who are funding the gymnasium in honor of their son, Toby; Mari and Todd Gutschow, who are funding the Technology Center; Sandy and Ed Burr of EDCO, who will make the Learning Center possible; Poway Rotary Club and John Carlson (playgrounds); The Moir Family (Community Conference Room); San Diego National Bank (entry lobby); GEICO Direct and US Laboratories/Testing Engineers (scoreboards); Northpoint Development (Creative Arts Center), and the Liguori Family (athletic field). Commemorative opportunities still exist for other areas of the new club, including the sports courts, Child Care Center, Activity Center, Administrative Center, Performing Arts Center and Nutrition Center. A Personalized Tile Campaign is being led by Community Campaign Chair Merrilee Boyack. The campaign encourages families and businesses throughout the community to purchase tiles that can be decorated and placed on the walls in the new Clubhouse. The Sulpizio Family Branch will be built on a 5.78-acre site in Poway Community Park (on Bowron Road adjacent to Valley Elementary School) provided by the City of Poway. The project architect is Ed McArdle with McArdle Associates Architects and the construction manager is Dave Pettigrew with Competitive Edge Construction Inc. of Escondido. The groundbreaking ceremonies were led by Channel 10 News Anchor Hal Clement, who has served as an honorary co-chair since the campaign's inception. Other speakers included Mayor Mickey Cafagna, who also played a major role on the campaign's Steering Commit-tee. "It's been both exciting and rewarding to work on this project and help it move forward," said Mayor Cafagna. "I am personally proud of everyone in this community who has stepped up to support this effort and realized the value a Boys & Girls Club will have in Poway and surrounding communities." The day's events began with a flag salute led by Valley Elementary fifth grade students, with assistance from a class of preschoolers from the Head Start program who will be among the first children to use the new Club's Child Care Center. The Meadowbrook Middle School choir also performed, led by director Marti Martinez. For four years, Meadowbrook has been the only site in the Poway school district with a Boys & Girls Club building. However, the limited 1,000-square-foot classroom can only accommodate 50 students on a daily basis. The new Branch will be able to accommodate 1,000 kids in its 20,000 square-foot space.

Padres donate $25,000 to W.J. Oakes Branch

In December, 2002 the San Diego Padres donated $25,000 to the William J. Oakes Branch to purchase new gamesroom equipment such as soccer tables, game boards and other needed supplies. Said Vice President of Operations Michelle Regan, "each year at Christmas time the Padres pick a charity to donate to. This year we are greatful that the Padres picked the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego. This donation will go a long way to help keep at-risk kids in Logan Heights off the streets and in a safe environment supervised by caring adults."

CHARGER POWER!

Even though the Chargers didn't win, the team and especially three of its players, were winners in the eyes of Encanto Branch members who attended the recent Chargers vs. Jets football game in Qualcomm Stadium. Chargers' running back LaDainian Tomlinson provided 20 VIP tickets which were used by 17 of our members and three staff. Everyone received a Chargers T-shirt and free food at the game. Three of the Club members were interviewed by Jane Mitchell of NBC, which aired on Nov. 27. After the game, LaDainian hosted the group at a sit-down dinner at Dave & Busters, where the kids got to meet their host, as well as two fellow Chargers, Quentin Jammer and Curtis Conway. The three Chargers told stories, answered questions, handed out photos-and, of course, signed autographs!

Teens attend national leadership conference

Twelve teens from the Linda Vista Branch of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego were among 1,200 teens from across the country attending the annual Keystone Conference in Anaheim. Leadership development, career planning, teen violence prevention and college planning were among the seminar topics for this year's conference. Movie actor Mark Wahlberg ("The Perfect Storm") was a guest speaker. After a long day of learning, the teens enjoyed nights devoted to activities teens enjoy most: including dances, parties and a talent show. There also were visits local attractions, including Disneyland and California Adventure. The 12 local teens are members of two Keystone clubs sponsored by the Linda Vista Club. Keystone clubs promote leadership skills among young people ages 14 and up. Branch Director Holland Conneely said her teens were so impressed with the Keystone Conference that they are now working on raising the funds needed to attend the 2003 conference, which will be held in Atlanta, GA. The national Keystone organization establishes an annual theme, and each Keystone club is asked to develop a project that carries out that theme during the coming year, Holland said. Under the "Saving Lives" mantle, the local teens created and organized an "AIDS Jeopardy" event that brought together teens from six high schools and taught them about sexually transmitted diseases through a game patterned after the popular "Jeopardy" TV show. The current theme is "Tolerance," Holland said, and the Linda Vista teens are busy developing a project that will focus on that theme.