Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Lucie County (BGCSLC) will celebrate 25 years of serving children in our community on Friday, April 24th, at the MidFlorida Event Center. “This is a special day to recognize our founders, honor our youth and continue the mission of creating great futures,” says Will Armstead, CEO of BGCSLC. The all-day affair will begin with an invitation-only Founders’ Breakfast, followed by a Great Futures Luncheon. The afternoon and evening will come to life with a community celebration. Live music, a kid’s zone, community entertainment, food trucks, and a few special surprises will leave attendees understanding the impact that Boys and Girls Clubs has in our community and beyond.

“We are appreciative to have such an outpouring of support to help celebrate this milestone for our clubs,” says Armstead. “It is an honor to have Jim Clark, President, and CEO of Boys and Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) join as a guest speaker at our Great Futures Luncheon.” Mr. Clark leads a network of 4,300 Boys & Girls Clubs, that serve 4 million young people in all 50 states and on U.S. military installations across the globe. Since joining BGCA and launching the Great Futures Impact Plan, clubs are increasing their impact on the young people they serve by focusing on the three priority outcome areas – Academic Success, Good Character and Citizenship and Healthy Lifestyles. It’s no surprise that BGCA has been ranked the #1 youth-serving organization by The Chronicle of Philanthropy for 22 consecutive years.

Hall of Famer and former Club Kid, Andre Reed will also be participating in the celebration. Growing up, Andre could be found at the Boys & Girls Club of Allentown almost every day. He spent a lot of time playing sports but credits the Club for learning respect, resiliency and the importance of self-improvement. He learned if he worked hard and surrounded himself with positive people, he could achieve his dreams, and that he did. As a wide receiver, he played 15 seasons with the Buffalo Bills, going to four Super Bowls. Reed was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014. He now serves as a BGCA Ambassador and leads up a literacy program for underprivileged youth, called Read with Reed 83 Challenge.

Reservations for the Great Futures Luncheon can be made at http://bgcslc.rocks/25th and for the Founders’ Breakfast at https://bgcslc.rocks/founders.

BGCSLC is currently seeking sponsors, vendors, volunteers, and community organizations to be a part of the 25th Anniversary. Inquiries can be made to Dawn Knupp by email or phone. [email protected] – 772-460-9918.