51ST ANNUAL FLORIDA PANTHERS DINNER AUCTION PRESENTED BY PROSCAPES
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County hosted the 51st Annual Florida Panthers Dinner Auction Presented by ProScapes on Saturday, April 28, 2018 at the Signature Grand. Over 500 attended Broward’s longest running charitable event, chaired by Marc Infante and Jim Robertson. Guests enjoyed live entertainment by Changing Lanes, a check presentation from the prestigious General’s Club for $251,000 and live & silent auctions. The evening’s festivities also included the Hall of Fame Induction of BGCBC supporters: Susan Burkhardsmeier and Cathy Donnelly (Individual Category), JM Family Enterprises, Inc. (Business Category) and the Broward Sheriff’s Office (Partnership Category). BGCBC is thankful for the support of these outstanding inductees!
2018 BGCBC CHEERLEADING COMPETITION
What a great way to spend a day of spring break!!! The 2018 Cheerleading Competition held at the Rick Case Arena in Davie, Florida was filled with fun and excitement! Competitors not only demonstrated amazing athleticism but represented the spirit of Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County by demonstrating good sportsmanship and solid teamwork. Over 230 Cheerleaders were well-practiced, dressed in their club’s cheerleading uniforms ready to perform for over 300 parents and family in attendance, who cheered their team on as they performed a 3-minute routine. Each participant showed mastery and skill. Judges carefully observed each routine, and although it was difficult, they finally decided the winners. Congratulations to all cheerleaders! Thank you to Rick Case Automotive Group and Nova Southeastern University for sponsoring and hosting the event this year! Division 11st Place: Huizenga Unit 2nd Place: Lester H. White Unit 3rd Place: Stephanis Unit Division 21st Place: Lester H. White Unit2nd Place: Stephanis Unit3rd Place: Huizenga Unit Spirit Award: Rick & Rita Case Unit
11TH ANNUAL BGCBC GENERALS CONSTRUCTION CAREER DAY
The Generals Construction Career Day (GCCD) took place on Saturday, April 14, 2018, at the Marti Huizenga Boys & Girls Club. The Castle Group was the title sponsor and official event host! The 2018 GCCD event was the biggest event yet! Twenty construction companies led hands-on activities with over 230 teen Club Members in attendance. Activities included crane operation, masonry/forming, carpentry, air conditioning steel construction, electrical, and more! Club Members invested in their Club by helping American Windows and Epsylon Aluminum & Engineering install windows in the patio area that the Club uses as a cafeteria. Young adults also helped Coastal Construction tradespeople renovate the Art Room Bathrooms. Broward County Public Schools led a special presentation about Naviance – the online program that helps teens prepare for life after high school. The program includes career research applications that help Members research different construction careers and trades including job responsibilities and salaries. We sincerely appreciate all of the construction companies that participated including: Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County got a surprise visit from Sheriff Scott Israel who motivated and encouraged our young people to stay focused on their dreams reminded them they can do anything they set their minds to! Donnell Bennet, former NFL Champion, and Thomas D. Stephanis Club Alumni visited to discuss the importance of networking and staying motivated to meet goals. We also thank Jim Robertson, Generals Club Chair, and GCCD Co-Chairs, John Mills, Bob Case & Debi Davis-Case for their hard work in making the GCCD a success! A special “Thank You” to our Generals Founders: Bob Case, Tom Miller and the late Terry Stiles. Their vision, foresight and commitment has forged a path four our young adults to careers in the trade industry.
32ND ANNUAL GOLF CLASSIC AT JACARANDA
On Friday, April 13th, the 32nd Annual Golf Classic, founded by Gary* & Bill Rotella, is one of the longest standing events for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County. This year’s event, Co- chaired by Chris Rotella and Joe LaRocca, Jr. and a fantastic new committee saw 44 foursomes gather at a new location, Jacaranda Golf Club. Over $100,000 was raised for our BGCBC members!! All golfers and volunteers were treated to an “old-fashioned “BBQ before heading out on the course. Once on the course, Hooters provided wings for the golfers. This year, golfers were able to purchase a package that included three games that would offer an advantage towards the foursome’s final score. Participating golfers could wear a colorful tutu to shoot from the ladies tee, the bazooka cannon tee shot and the 150 marker for your first shot. These games definitely provided some levity on the course and raised additional funds for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County. Immediately after the round, golfers enjoyed a delicious buffet and bid on some incredible silent and live auction items including a VIP sports package, yacht charter and much more! Congratulations to both first place winning teams. On the west, Joe Diachiacchio, Paul Alford, Scott Ireland and Ian Jackson had the lowest score. The East course winners were Daniel Hotte, Jeff Walker, AJ Belt and Jack Melnicof. A special thank you to sponsors Deerpath Capital Management, Leo Goodwin Foundation, Big Heart Children Foundation, Inc., Blue Team Restoration, Beacon Group, Bettoli Vending, Ed Morse Automotive Group, Hotte Family, Lincoln Financial Group, Yellow Cab, The McDonald Family Foundation, Guardian Life Insurance Company, Eastern Waste, LaRocca & Associates along with many hole sign sponsors. Special Thank You to Best Buy who brought out over 40 volunteers for to ensure the success of this year’s Golf Classic.
THE 12TH ANNUAL BOCA RATON CONCOURS D’ ELEGANCE PRESENTED BY MERCEDES-BENZ AND AUTONATION
The 12th annual Boca Raton Concours d’Elegance presented by Mercedes-Benz and AutoNation has raised over $10 million todate for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County. Hosted for the 12th consecutive year at the Boca Raton Resort & Club, the event took place from February 23-25 and included highlights with Jay Leno & Tim Allen which attracted more than 7,000 attendees for an amazing weekend of philanthropy, comedy and a stellar automobile and motorcycle displays. Founded and directed by Rita & Rick Case of The Rick Case Automotive Group, their annual leadership and hands-on involvement over the last 12 years to benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County and the more than 12,500 at-risk youth it serves. “The entire Concours team is comprised of a group of over 300 volunteers who donate their time to the planning and execution of the event,” says Brian Quail, President/CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County. Kicking off the weekend of events on Friday, February 23rd with the duPont Registry™ Live Hangar Party at Atlantic Aviation at the Boca Raton Airport, guests experienced gourmet tastings from 20 of South Florida’s finest restaurants. As guests indulged in an array of fine wines and spirits as well as live entertainment, they perused an impressive selection of exotic and luxury cars, motorcycles, private jets, premier vendors and more. Attendees had a chance to meet Indy 500 Race Car driver, Jack Harvey and preview Harvey’s INDY 500 Race Car which is driven by AutoNation’s partnership. The excitement continued on Saturday, February 24th with the Grand Gala Dinner, Live Auction and Show featuring an unforgettable comedian headline performance by Tim Allen. Allen, an actor, comedian, author as well as an avid car collector starred in the long-running hit ABC series “Home Improvement” where he garnered a Golden Globe Award, an Emmy nomination, and was honored with the People’s Choice Award for “Favorite Male Performer in a Television Series” for eight years in a row. Allen’s film roles include portraying Buzz Lightyear in the “Toy Story” franchise and Scott Calvin/Santa Claus in “The Santa Clause” trilogy. Guests also enjoyed the presentation of the Automotive Lifetime Achievement Award to Norman Braman, Founder and owner of Braman Motorcars and National Lifetime Achievement Award to Bob Carter, Executive VP of Toyota North America. The memorable weekend continued with the Boca Raton Concours d’ Elegance on Sunday, February 25th, sponsored by the Rick Case Automotive Group. The morning started with a private Q&A brunch hosted by Celebrity judges Jay Leno from the “Jay Leno’s Garage” TV Show and Tim Allen. Following the brunch, Jay Leno joined Tim Allen as they walked through the show field meeting automobile and motorcycle owners and event attendees as they searched for their favorite automobile and motorcycle to present the Jay Leno “Big Dog Garage Award” and the “Tim Allen Award”. Guests from around the world experienced an automotive showcase like no other, featuring vehicles and motorcycles from an array of time periods. Jay presented the “Big Dog Garage Award”. Auto enthusiasts viewed the Marques of the Year, Lincoln-Mercury and a very special presentation by the Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA), “Cars throughout the Decades of the past Century”. Celebrity Judges, Jay Leno, Tim Allen joined an expert panel of judges including Chief Judge Dr. Paul Sable and Chief Honorary Judge Steve Moskowitz, Executive Director of AACA, Jay Quail, Executive Director of Classic Car Club of America and Keith Martin from Sports Car Market Magazine. Additionally, Grand Marshal, Wayne Carini, host of Chasing Classic Cars joined the group for another stellar year along with Master of Ceremonies Bill Rothermel and Tom duPont, who selected the finest vintage, antique, classic and exotic vehicles based on period, presentation and overall style. Also joined by guest judge, David Schultz, Chairman of the 2017 Lincoln Motor Car Foundation. Once the show kicked off, guests invited to walk through a series of vendor tents and enjoy a selection of gourmet food, wine and cocktails from more than 20 of South Florida’s finest restaurants at the Concours d’ Gourmet Pavilion. 2019 Save the date: 13th Annual Boca Raton Concours d’ Elegance on February 22-24, 2019. Jay Leno will be the Saturday Gala Dinner & Auction headline entertainer as well as the Sunday, Concours d’ Elegance official Celebrity Judge. To learn more about the annual Boca Raton Concours d’Elegance, please visit www.bocaCDE.com.
22ND ANNUAL DEX IMAGING RANCH ROAM PRESENTED BY THE FLORIDA PANTHERS
On Saturday, March 10, 2018, guests of the 22nd Annual DEX imaging Ranch Roam presented by the Florida Panthers Foundation, dressed in their best cowboy and cowgirls duds enjoyed a night of Old West excitement. The event, hosted by “Alligator” Ron Bergeron & Ali Waldman took place at Ron Bergeron’s Green Glades West Ranch and featured gourmet cuisine and interactive Western Activities, such as mechanical bull riding, an Old West Casino, line dancing, a Chili Chuck Wagon, country sounds of the Shadow Creek Band and a live & silent auction. Dessert for over 700 guests was prepared and served by members of The Culinary Program from the Leo Goodwin Foundation Teen Center! Highlighting the evening was an inspiring speech given by the 2018 Youth of the Year, Eric Lockwood. Our feature entertainment, Country Music Star Duo, Thompson Square, rounded up the evening with a crowd pleasing performance! This year’s 22nd Annual Ranch Roam was generously sponsored by “Alligator” Ron Bergeron and Ali Waldman & the Bergeron Family, DEX imaging, The Florida Panthers Foundation, Publix Charities, HJ Foundation, Ft. Lauderdale Mariners Club, Jersey Mike’s Subs, Merrimac Ventures, Events on the Loose, One with Life Tequila, The Special Events Group, H& E Equipment, Parties by Ronnie O, Potions in Motion, IPPOLITA, Calvin, Giordano & Associates One of the organization’s largest fundraisers, Ranch Roam has raised more than ten million dollars since its inception in 1996.
2018 YOUTH OF THE YEAR WINNER ANNOUNCED!
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County is proud to announce that Eric Lockwood from the Nan Knox Unit is the 2018 Youth of the Year! Eric is a Senior at Dillard High School. He is planning to attend Florida A&M University to study business and entrepreneurship. We are proud of all of the Youth who competed for the title including Tais Romero (Marti Huizenga Unit) who placed second and Tyler Bailey (Jim & Jan Moran Unit) who placed third. The Youth of the Year is the highest honor that a Member can achieve. Each Boys & Girls Club names one teen Member the Club’s Youth of the Year and one Member the Alternate Youth of the Year. Each Youth of the Year then competes to become the Youth representative for Broward County. BGCBC prepares each youth by providing three full-day Dale Carnegie workshops to improve their public speaking and interpersonal communication skills. Each YOY also completes a packet that includes three essays: (1) Club Experience (2) Personal Brand (3) Vision for America’s Youth. The Youth also submit three letters of recommendation highlighting their leadership, academic achievements and healthy lifestyles. The judging event was held on Monday, February 19. The judges were Brian Quail, President/CEO of BGCBC; Michael Rodriguez, Vice President of New Projects for JAE Restaurant Group; Deborah Wendt, founder of Stress Less Yoga, LLC; Roderick Hagan, owner/operator of McHaig, Inc; and Dr. Marie DeSanctis, President of Broward College, Central Campus. Each Youth shared a 2 – 3 minute speech in front of the judges. The judges asked questions based on the Member’s speech and essays. At the end of the judging period the top three winners were awarded with certificates and gift cards. The Youth of the Year Members will now travel to Sarasota, FL from April 12 – April 14 to attend the State YOY competition. The State YOY competition is an opportunity for the YOY Members to participate in fun activities and cheer on Eric as he competes to become the State of Florida’s Youth of the Year! BGCBC would like to thank the judges who worked tirelessly to evaluate each young person and hear their inspiring and empowering stories! We also would like to thank each youth for giving their time to participate in the screenings as well as share their life experiences and how BGCBC has positively impacted their lives.
ADOPT-A-FAMILY BRINGS JOY TO OVER 290 BGCBC MEMBERS
The Boys & Girls Club of Broward County goes above and beyond providing afterschool and summer programming to children in the community and is always willing to help our members during their time of need, especially during the holidays. This year, thanks to our hardworking staff, volunteers and donors, the Adopt-A-Family Program identified Club families that needed extra Holiday cheer and gifted them with presents for each child. The program brought smiles to 297 children, who otherwise may not have had presents under the Christmas tree, with a variety of gifts ranging from clothes, books, electronics and sporting gear. Thank you to all of our gracious donors, both individuals and companies that generously support the Adopt-A-Family Program. We appreciate everything you do!
6TH ANNUAL CHANNING CROWDER TOY DRIVE
On December 19, 2017, the on-air crew from WQAM, including former Captain of the Miami Dolphins, Channing Crowder, broadcast live from the lobby of the Lester H. White Boys & Girls Club in Ft. Lauderdale. During the on-air sports/social chat show Crowder, along with his co-hosts, encouraged listeners to drop off toys that would put smiles on the faces of kids in Broward County who otherwise might not get presents. Throughout the afternoon and evening, Channing and the WQAM team welcomed parents picking up their children; helping over 250 children pick out a special toy off the table before they went home. Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County thanks the Crowders, WQAM, and all of the corporations and individuals who made generous donations of gifts and toys for our members and made this event successful.
THE 19TH ANNUAL ALLIGATOR ALLEY HARLEY-DAVIDSON BIKERS BASH
The 19th Annual Alligator Alley Harley-Davidson Bikers Bash was held December 7-10, 2017 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. A special thank you to our Honorary Chair Christopher Osceola, The Seminole Tribe of Florida, The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, our “Leaders of the Pack” and our Title Sponsor, Alligator Alley Harley-Davidson for their generous support of the event. Additional thanks go to our many sponsors: Team National, JM Family Enterprises, The Rick Case Automotive Group, Exclusive Beauty Supplies, BaByliss Pro, Rusk, C Davis Electric, Two Georges at the Cove, Florida Powerboat Club, Bruce Rossmeyer’s Daytona Destination and so many more. The Bikers Bash event started on Thursday, December 7, 2017 with a kick off registration gathering at Alligator Alley Harley-Davidson. Friday included a police escorted day ride to Two George’s at The Cove followed by the Bikers Bash VIP event. Guests enjoyed a gourmet dinner and a special performance by Soulicide while they bid on silent and live auction items including vacation packages, autographed memorabilia, and a special motorcycle custom-built by the members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County Bikers Bash Junior League with the assistance of V-Twin City and Indian Motorcycle. Also auctioned off was a custom built 2005 Bagless Road King by the technicians at Alligator Alley Harley-Davidson. Saturday included a police escorted day ride to the Rick & Rita Case Boys & Girls Club in Davie for a very special tour of the facility where the leadership of Team National distributed brand new toys for the Holidays for the Boys & Girls Club members. The festivities concluded on Sunday, December 10th with the 30th Annual SFPC Christmas Toys in the Sun Run parade. Bikers Bash participants led the world’s largest police-escorted motorcycle parade from I-95 to I-595, concluding in Markham Park where the riders enjoyed a VIP catered tent, live entertainment, bike show and more.
