Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago’s Lawn Ball

BY JUDY CARMACK BROSS

The night was glorious, the dress casual chic, and the cause truly compelling for the 400 guests of the Guild Board of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago’s recent Lawn Ball, which raised over $400,000 for after-school programs at the organization’s 23 centers around the city serving 2,000 youths daily.

Lindsay Everest, Dave Weber, and Maggie Coleman.

Maggie Coleman, Lindsay Everest, and Dave Weber co-chaired the 13^th annual gala underneath the stars at the lakefront, celebrating Chicago’s summer and its youth. To David, volunteering for the Boys and Girls Clubs serves as a top priority:

“Working with the Clubs and interacting with the kids helps to reinforce the BGCC mission for me and reminds me that as stewards of our city and broader communities, we all need to do more.

“What many of us read in the paper related to inner city youth and the violence in certain areas is a daily reality for some of these kids. The clubs are a safe haven where they can be nurtured academically, emotionally, and socially. These are very basic but critical needs that all too often are taken for granted.”

Chris Kirtley serves as guild president. Other officers include Steve Moffat, Corrine Cricks Offutt, Anna Wells Gjerlow, Ted Thilman, Matthew Anderson, and Molly Carroll.

Steve Moffat and Monique Hypes.

Since 1902, BGCC has been expert in assessing the needs and risk of Chicago youth, directly addressing challenges, and offering powerful solutions. By removing kids from the negative influences of the streets and replacing those influences with quality after-school programs that enhance their lives and shape their futures, BGCC makes a very tangible and positive difference.

The organization’s core programs focus on three areas: academic success, character and leadership, and healthy lifestyles. More than 57 percent of their alumni report that their membership literally saved their lives.