On March 26, 2022, our Board President, Mrs. Maylene Kiang Wu, hosted a “President’s Dinner” where over 50 influential members of our community gathered in the Allyn International ballroom to celebrate the amazing works of the organization, recognized outstanding volunteers, and enjoyed scrumptious food and fantastic entertainment.

Mrs. Wu spoke about our vision of growth in the near future to help us serve as many children as possible. She informed the crowd that we have 95,000+ kids in Lee County and there is a growing need for quality after-school and summer programs like what the BGCLC offers to our youth. CEO, Denise Gergley, shared the impact we are making on children and their families today, including the Marin family who were featured in our video and joined us that evening for the festivities. Mr. Marin shares in the video how the BGCLC has been a blessing for he and his daughter. And when we asked his daughter how the BGCLC makes her feel, she said, “grateful, happy and loved”. Our program has changed their lives for the better, as it has for many others!

In addition, we recognized three distinguished past board members Greg Brock, Lenny Katz, and Charlie Todd, who collectively served over 50 years on the board to help strengthen our programs and support our members. We also want to recognize additional past board members who could not be with us that evening, Richard Fain, Jim Larkin, and Scott Koenig. We are truly grateful for their years of devotion and service to our organization!

The presentations were followed by exciting entertainment –Dave Bennett & the Memphis Speed Kings Band. These outstanding musicians performed for two hours with their vintage rockabilly and rock n’ roll music of Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry and more. The lead, Dave Bennett often hopped on the piano bench, while the base player stood on his orchestra bass, playing with great pizzaz. They had the crowd at the edge of their seats and on the dance floor. Check them out!  (https://www.davebennett.com/the-memphis-speed-kings/)

We want to thank Allyn International and Coke Florida for their sponsorship. And we also appreciate all who attended and support our mission to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, and responsible citizens.