With a generous donation from the local Wal-Mart, hundreds of our Encanto members were able to participate in a fun-filled carnival. The March event featured games, hair coloring, prizes, and lots of surprises! Thanks again to Wal-Mart for sponsoring this event.

The City of San Diego staff recommended and the City Council approved grants from the federal Community Development Block Grant allocations for the 2008 fiscal year. The four metro branches were awarded over $100,000 in funding for upgrades to their facilities including: Clairemont Branch - $33,750 for windows; Ron Roberts/Linda Vista - $42,000 for the kitchen; William J Oakes/Logan Heights - $25,000 for the bathrooms; and Encanto - $20,000 for the Dance Studio.

On Saturday, February 3 the Boys & Girls Clubs teamed up with the La Jolla Country Day School to build an indoor playground at the Club’s Encanto Branch. Volunteers from both organizations built the playground in one day, with the construction beginning at 8:00 AM and concluding at 1:00 PM. The day’s events included construction of the playground, a BBQ lunch, and entertaining by a DJ from the Linda Vista Teen Center.

La Jolla Country Day School approached the Clubs about wanting to raise funds to help build a playground for one of our sites. The Clubs had plans to build an indoor playground at the Encanto Branch and the school agreed to support it. Students at the school raised $13,000 through various fundraisers for the project and then found an anonymous donor to match the donation, bringing the total to $26,000.

The design of the playground was inspired by the drawings from Club members. Staff gave the kids the chance to put their ideas on paper and they were submitted to the building company, Miracles Playground Systems. The playground’s safety surface was installed on February 9 and ready to be played on by Club members on February 13.

The preparation for the project began in October 2005. La Jolla Country Day School students Rebecca Poliner and Tanya Grewal spearheaded the project. “We visited a workshop in Dallas where we viewed other build projects. I decided that I wanted to build a playground and so I was excited when the Boys & Girls Clubs agreed to partner with us. Every child should have one to play on. My best memories are from my experiences on the playground,” said Poliner. Students at the school raised money through June 2006.

The designing and planning continued up until the actual build date. This event resembled our past “Kaboom” style projects. If you are interested in doing a similar project as the indoor playground, please contact Michelle Malin, VP Operations at 1-866-SDYOUTH.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego would like to thank Gary Levine and CHUBB Group of Insurance Companies for generously donating $5,500 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego, Linda Vista Teen Center.

Levine has been an avid supporter of our organization for many years. His commitment to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego and the youth in our community earned him the honor of our 2004 Golden Achievement Award.

Support from individuals like Levine and companies like CHUBB truly make our organization possible. Without their dedication and commitment, we would not be able to serve over 20,000 of San Diego's youth annually.

Thank you Gary and CHUBB!

A helping hand is always appreciated at the Clubs, but when it comes from San Diego Charger Quentin Jammer, it gets a little more excitement from the kids. Jammer, a Club favorite, has been a tremendous supporter of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego along with his wife Alicia and his foundation, the Quentin Jammer Family Foundation. In 2006, Jammer donated over $20,000 worth of gifts to the Clubs. He gave twenty tickets for each regular season Charger home game and the kids who attended also received a t-shirt.

But the amazing generosity didn’t stop there. He held his 2nd Annual Quentin Jammer Thanksgiving Dinner at the Hall of Champions in November. Sixty-five Club members were treated to a traditional feast and a wonderful gift bag. Jammer socialized with the kids throughout the night and left them talking about the event for weeks. The Clubs would like to give Quentin, Alicia, and his foundation a warm thank you for the incredible kindness they have given..

Showing off their musical talent, Baker Family Branch members participate in a concert for their peers. The Club offers guitar lessons for 3rd-8th graders as part of their music program. Members commit to an eight week session learning the workings of a guitar and basic chords to put to simple songs. They then perform in a concert once a quarter. The music program also offers a Jam Room where junior high Club members learn to play drums, bass, electric guitars, and keyboards. Members also give concerts to other club members. The Baker Family Branch won the “Honor Award for Program Excellence” for their music program at the staff training event in January.

Metro Club members celebrated the holidays in a big way this Christmas as they gathered at the Ron Roberts Branch in December. Kids got to participate in a decked out Club, play countless games, eat a variety of food, and were given wonderful presents. The Metro Clubs were not the only ones though taking part in the festivities; each branch had some sort of party to give the kids a great start to the upcoming holiday. These parties were made possible because of numerous donations from the community, including a $10,000 donation from Terry Hazard.

Needing a safe and positive place to go is a main driving force behind why so many parents enroll their kids in the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego. This is especially true for Encanto Branch mother, Jontee Anderson. Jontee enrolled Kristoff five years ago when she became his legal guardian. Kristoff is a prime example of a Club member who has greatly benefited from well-rounded programming.

When Kristoff started attending the Club at age 6, he had little interaction with other kids and was in need of some guideance from strong adults to boost his self-confidence. Within a short time, Kristoff had managed to receive immediate results with helping him overcome these concerns. He started playing flag football with a little encouragement from staff. Flag football taught Kristoff teamwork and the importance of helping others. He saw how the other kids didn’t laugh at his mistakes, but rather supported him. Kristoff ’s self-confidence grew as he became more involved with the Club. He learned that he was capable of many things, and that the staff believed in him. He was able to try such a diverse group of programs and activities so he could find the ones that he liked best. Jontee said that Kristoff got exposure to things that she never would have been able to give him. She also said that he has taken on new characteristics that are much more positive.

Over the years, Kristoff has also participated in Junior Achievement, Power Hour, Planet Health, Torch Club, and sports. He has straight A’s in school. The Club has taught him a positive habit of completing his homework before he plays. His involvement in such a wide variety of programs has taught Kristoff the value of being fit, being a leader, and being a good citizen. The staff at the Club credits Kristoff as being a wonderful role model for others. He has taken what he has learned at the Club and put it to good use by helping his peers. He takes advantage of everything the Club has to offer. Kristoff says that the Club allows him to have fun and learn at the same time. Jontee says from a parent’s perspective, that’s all she could ask for.