Three local youth and members of Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver were named the winners in a national digital arts competition for their creativity and use of technology in movie making. Evelyn A. and Jacqueline A. from the Jefferson County Branch, and Edgar S. from our Wilfley Branch, were recognized as national winners for the Movie Tech animation category of the Club Tech Digital Arts Festivals for the 6-9 (Evelyn and Jacqueline) and 16-18 (Edgar) age groups.

The Digital Arts Festivals are presented by Boys & Girls Clubs of America through its partnership with founding sponsor Microsoft and Comcast. The Festivals recognize Club members who use artistic expression in six categories: photography, music, graphic design, game design, movie animation and film.

“The Digital Arts Festivals encourage artistic expression through technology and allow youth to learn real-world skills,” said Dan Rauzi, senior director of Technology Programs for Boys & Girls Clubs of America. “Through our national partnership with Microsoft and Comcast, we are able to provide an opportunity to see the amazing things our kids and teens can do when given access to technology and allowed to express themselves creatively.”

For the Movie Tech animation category, Boys & Girls Club members were asked to create their own stop-motion animated short story. The entries were judged by a panel of national experts and competed against submissions from Clubs across the globe. National judges Lisa Keene, Art Director at Disney; Chelsea Badeau, Director of Homepage Programming, XFINITY.com at Comcast; and Nunzio DeFilippis, Graphic Novel Writer.

The Digital Arts Festivals are part of Club Tech, a program that integrates technology into Club activities to help youth develop skills critical to building a successful future. The competitions allow members to take tech skills they’ve learned through their Boys & Girls Club and get creative to design original pieces of artwork. In 2010, more than 20,000 young people participated in local contests.

As a national winner in the teen division, Edgar along with teen winners from all six categories will receive an expenses-paid summer trip to Philadelphia that includes sightseeing and job-shadowing experiences. In years past, winners have visited colleges and the offices of large corporations to get a behind-the-scenes look at potential careers.
“The quality of the entries we see for the Digital Arts Festivals every year never ceases to amaze me,” commented Akhtar Badshah, senior director of Citizenship at Microsoft Corporation.  “This year’s winners are the perfect example of how giving young people access to technology and the knowledge to use it unleashes their creativity and showcases how we can create exciting opportunities for youth in all our communities.”

The Festivals are just one way that Boys & Girls Clubs of America, founding sponsor Microsoft and Comcast hope to technologically enable some 4 million youth served by some 4,000 Clubs nationwide and abroad through Club membership and community outreach. Club Tech also provides software, develops and delivers curricula, and provides program management and computer training for staff and youth. The sponsorship allows Clubs to integrate technology into every aspect of the organization’s fabric, from overall management to core programs.

“We are thrilled to be working with the Boys & Girls Club of America and the Digital Arts Festivals to help young people develop award-winning technical and digital skills,” said Charisse R. Lillie, Vice President of Community Investment for Comcast Corporation and President of the Comcast Foundation. “Technology provides access to resources that help our youth build bright and successful futures.”

To learn more about the technology programs offered at Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver, visit www.bgcmd.org/home/programs/technology

This year, nearly 1,000 business and civic leaders from the Denver community attended this special evening, making this year our largest Youth of the Year celebration in our organization’s history!

With the help of the Denver community, we raised more than $650,000 to provide education, leadership, technology, arts, sports and healthy lifestyle programs for 12,000 Denver youth. These kids depend on their Clubs for a safe, enriching place to spend out of school time, and it is thanks to the support of friends like you that they continue to build great futures at Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver.

Many thanks to our Honorary Event Chairs, Governor Hickenlooper and First Lady Helen Thorpe, and Mayor Michael B. Hancock and First Lady Mary Louise Lee. Both gentleman spoke about the imperative role and programs offered at Boys & Girls Clubs throughout the city, serving more than 2,000 children in our community each day after school and during the summer months.

We extend our gratitude to the 2012 Event Chairs, Kent Thiry &  Denise O’Leary and James Mulligan & Joan Burleson. Both couples have worked tirelessly to raise significant funds to help us to continue to provide life-changing programs to children who need us most.

We’d like to recognize our Presenting Sponsors, DaVita and Kent Thiry & Denise O’Leary, as well as our Platinum Sponsors, Tim and Libby Brown Foundation, MDC/Richmond American Homes Foundation, Prologis, Snell & Wilmer and Venoco, Inc. for their commitment to helping kids in our community.

We are truly grateful to all of you who supported our silent and live auctions, as well as our special appeal. Hundreds of you walked away with a unique pin depicting the future aspiration of a Club member. We hope these will serve as a reminder that your generosity helps kids, every day, to strive for their own great futures.

Thank you again for celebrating with us this year. We look forward to seeing you next year!

This week, April 15 – 21, is not only National Boys & Girls Clubs week, it’s also National Volunteer Week!

National Volunteer Week was established in 1974 and has grown every year since its inception. Today, the week includes the support and endorsement of all U.S. presidents that have been elected since it’s inception, as well as several other elected officials throughout the country. Click here to read President Obama’s Proclamation for this year’s volunteer week!

National Volunteer Week is about inspiring, recognizing, and encouraging people to seek out imaginative ways to engage in their communities. It’s about demonstrating to the nation that by working together, in unison, we have the fortitude to meet our challenges and accomplish our goals. It’s also about taking action, encouraging individuals and their respective communities to be at the center of change by discovering, and actively demonstrating, their collective power to bring about positive transformation.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver truly relies on the support of our generous volunteers. Every day, volunteers enrich the Clubs and the lives of the children who come to them by sharing their time, talent and treasures. Volunteers at our Clubs work on a variety of projects – shooting hoops in the gym and serving as sports coaches, teaching members guitar and piano, creating works of art with members, building robots in the tech lab, helping with homework and reading, and being there as a supportive, guiding light for the children who need it most.

This week we celebrate and recognize volunteers who take action and are committed to their communities; ordinary people who accomplish extraordinary things through service every day. Click here to explore the many volunteer opportunities available with Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver.

Sunday, April 15, 2012, marks the start of National Boys & Girls Clubs Week. Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver will celebrate this week by educating the public on the important programs offered by the organization and by telling success stories of the thousands of young people helped by the organization since its founding in 1961.

In addition to general public education about the organization, Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver has partnered with longtime supporter, U.S. Bank, to offer a volunteer day for U.S. Bank employees. On Wednesday, April 18, approximately 100 U.S. Bank employees will spend the morning “Scrubbing a Club,” painting, cleaning, gardening and offering other volunteer cleanup services at the Robert M. Shopneck Boys & Girls Clubs Branch in Brighton, CO (1800 Longs Peak Street, Brighton).

Beginning at 3:00 p.m., the second shift of volunteers will arrive to host a special Field Day, setting up and coordinating obstacle courses and other activities for the Shopneck Branch members aged six to 18.

In addition to the volunteer day activities, Brighton Mayor Richard McLean will read a special proclamation on-site at the branch at 10:00 a.m. on April 18, declaring the week of April 15, 2012, Boys & Girls Clubs Week in the City of Brighton.

“Many of our employees are involved in volunteer activities throughout the year,” said Hassan Salem, president of U.S. Bank in Denver. “Rallying around National Volunteer Week, the Boys & Girls Clubs, is one great way for the U.S. Bank team to give back to the community. We are very fortunate to do business in the Denver area.”

And as stated by John Arigoni, president and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver, “We are grateful to have the support of local companies like U.S. Bank who are committed to our organization and helping us to offer high quality programs and resources to the young people we serve every day. To have this special day coincide with National Boys & Girls Clubs Week only further exemplifies the relevance of our programs in the communities which we serve.”

To learn more about Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver and National Boys & Girls Clubs Week, visit www.greatfuturesdenver.org. And to support the organization, consider purchasing a ticket for this year’s Dream House Raffle, where $150 could win you a $3 million Cherry Creek Dream Home or $2 million in cash. Tickets for the Raffle will be on sale through May 18, 2012.

Hundreds of Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver Club members displayed their outstanding works of creativity for this year’s Boys & Girls Clubs Fine Arts Exhibit, several of whom advanced to the regional level. We are proud to announce that eight of our incredibly talented members were selected by a distinguished panel of judges as 2012 Regional Fine Arts Exhibit Winners. There work was selected – along with 36 other pieces of work – as Regional Fine Arts Exhibit winners from hundreds submitted by aspiring young artists in Clubs and Youth Centers across the Southwest Region. The artwork will be submitted to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America National Office to compete amongst the other regional winners.

Best of luck to all of you in the national judging! You are truly inspiring!

Check out the winning works below:

Corroding Coupe
Giselle C., Age 17 – J. Churchill Owen Branch
Print Making

Five Different Directions
Angel F., Age 11 – Jefferson County Branch
Monochromatic Drawing

Cheetah #1-6
Courtney H., Age 9 – Jefferson County Branch
Print Making

Blue Gnu
Edith L., Age 11 – J. Churchill Owen Branch
Print Making

Ceremonial
Alena M., Age 10 – J. Churchill Owen Branch
Collage

Modern Medusa
Omar P., Age 11 – William E. Cope Branch
Multicolored Drawing

Deep Green Stare
Jaelynn R., Age 11 – William E. Cope Branch
Pastel

Vicky’s Bouquet
Julie S., Age 17 – J. Churchill Owen Branch
Watercolor

Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver’s technology program is designed to support multiple learning styles through a combination of self-directed learning, group instruction, and individual teaching. Each year, through the TechZilla Monster Extravaganza, Club members compete in a variety of tech-related categories to show off their 21st century knowledge. This year’s TechZilla event took place on March 24, 2012, at our J. Churchill Owen branch.

Each Boys & Girls Club branch prepared four teams consisting of three Club members – for a total of 12 members competing. All teams competed in the following events: (1) Egg-O-Naut, (2) Turbulent Tangled Tech Trivia, (3) Typing Relay, (4) The Photo Challenge. Points were given in each category, and awards were given to the top teams in each category and to the teams that placed best overall in all four categories.  The 2012 TechZilla trophy was awarded to the Commerce City Branch, who finished this year’s competition with the most points overall!

In the Egg-O-Naut competition, each team built two rockets – one prepared before the TechZilla event, and one built at the event from limited materials. During the competition, eggs are placed in the rockets and the rockets were launched. For each rocket launch, teams were awarded 15 points if  an egg survived the launch.

Questions covered a wide range of topics in the Turbulent Tangled Tech Trivia event:  science, space, engineering, technology, math, TechSpert curriculum, Netsmartz, and over all kid knowledge. Answers came in a variety of formats such as: multiple-choice, text, true or false, and placing answers in order. For those who don’t know, NetSmartz is an interactive, educational safety resource from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and Boys & Girls Clubs of America for children aged 5 to 17, parents, guardians, educators, and law enforcement. The program uses age-appropriate, 3-D activities to teach children how to stay safer on the Internet.

The Typing Relay consisted of teams competing in typing relay races, using the website TypingTest.com. The team with the highest WPM (words per minute) score from any one “heat” was the winner.

Lastly, teams were challenged to design an album cover through a serious of photo challenges. In the photo editing program of the members’ choice, the groups completed a design for an album cover. Challenges included photo distortion, cropping images to be included on the cover, photography skills, and pulling images from the internet.

Congratulations to all of our outstanding Club members who worked so hard to complete these difficult challenges. Your skills inspire us – we can’t wait to see what the next generation of tech-savvy students comes up with next!

This year, we recognize one very special Club member as our 2012 Denver Youth of the Year. After a long, and very competitive, application, essay, and interview process, Manuel was named this year’s winner, and will receive several scholarships that will assist him in furthering his education.

Manuel moved to the United States with his family when he was six years old and has learned to become a resilient young man through the challenges he and his family have overcome. Although at times it seemed like his future was predetermined, Manuel persisted, and continues to strive for greatness.

Currently, he is 17 years old and living in Commerce City, Colorado. Manuel has been a member at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver Commerce City Branch for the past five years where he has been involved in many different programs including Youth of the Year, the Keystone Leadership Club, Teen Outreach Program and serving as a SMART Moves peer leader.

This May, Manuel will graduate from Adams City High School, where he is taking and excelling in several high-level courses through his participation in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP). He currently has a cumulative grade point average of 3.8, is ranked in the top 6 percent of his class, and is a member of the National Honor Society. In addition to his heavy coursework, Manuel is a member of Student Council, jazz band, varsity golf and baseball, and President of the Math Club.  Through his involvement with the Club and school, Manuel has taken advantage of several opportunities to give back to his community, including organizing a baseball clinic and toy drive for younger children.

In the fall, he plans to attend the Colorado School of Mines, South Dakota School of Mines, or Colorado State University to study mechanical engineering.

Congratulations, Manuel! We are so proud you are a Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver member.

Karol M., a member of the Commerce City Boys & Girls Club, was asked to design a mask of “complimentary opposites” for U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter. Recently named Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver’s Junior Youth of the Year, Karol began pursuing art at the age of 10. She is a honors Student at Kearney Middle School, involved with Destination Imagination, plays on the volleyball, track, and basketball teams, and is highly involved with all aspects of her Boys & Girls Club. She says her inspiration came from “famous, contemporary icons in conjunction with a fascination for forces that at first seem contrary, but are truly interconnected and interdependent, imperative for life as we know it.”

We are honored to have been chosen by the Congressman to create the work, and so proud of Karol’s work!

Ron Maynes grew up in Denver, Colorado and spent his childhood at the Denver Boys’ Club. He became a member in 1961 when the first Club opened. Here, he shares his memories of the first days of Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver, when it was just known as the Denver Boys’ Club.

“I remember the opening of the Lincoln Park Club (now named the William E. Cope Branch) in the fall of 1961. We had to sleep outside on the hard sidewalk – everyone was vying for the number one membership card. We were given sleeping bags and staff and police checked on us during the night and gave us hot chocolate. I remember entering the Club on opening day. I could smell the fresh paint – an ugly dark brown color.Only one pool table, one ping pong table, and one Foosball table were present. The gym was very small and had 6 ft. high baskets, due to a low ceiling. You had to shoot straight as an arrow for the ball to go in!

I believe the number one membership card went to one of the Baca brothers. I ended up receiving number 34. I still have my original membership card today, 50 years later, with the signature of William E. Cope (the first Executive Director for the Denver Boys’ Clubs).

I also remember the first staff to work in the Club. There was Washy. He was from India and was a part-time shop guy. Jack James was the first Branch Director. A part-time secretary by the name of Pat Wallick helped in a tiny office. And yes, of course, Bill Cope. He always wore a nice suit and had a professional aura about him.

In the early years, the Clubs named Boy of the Month. When you were Boy of the Month you were given a free savings account at a local bank. Your picture was also put in the Rocky Mountain News. I was boy of the month in May 1964. Later on they began Boy of the Year, as the other branches began to open up.

Some of the early pioneers who worked at the Clubs included Ralph Pahl at Owen, Freed Zook and Mike Coffman at Johnson, Big Mac at Lincoln Park, and Gil Mayoral who coached at both the Lincoln Park and Owen branches. Also, Bert Gutierrez who did custodial back then worked for the Clubs until recently – more than 40 years!

In 1963, I played on the first championship team of the Clubs. The old “Red Shield” football league. We were coached by Bill Cope – as he had played quarterback in college. I kept that trophy and recently gave it to the Cope Branch. Club membership was also always .50 cents under Bill Cope’s watch. With gratitude to Bill Cope I was the first alum to become a Branch Director in 1971 at the Lincoln Park Branch. I also hired Dan Ruybal – fresh out of college and a football star from Mesa State – to be my coach. He went on to become the second alum to become a Branch Director, and has now been with the Clubs for more than 35 years. He is currently the Branch Director at the Shopneck Branch in Brighton.

The Clubs have seen three generations of members from my family, spanning their 50 year history – beginning with myself in 1961. The second generation was my two sons Jason and Joseph Maynes, who became members of the Lincoln Park Branch. Joseph was also a recipient of a full scholarship to Graland Country Day school, sponsored by the Club. Today, my two grandsons Aaron and Matthew make up the third generation, and are members at the Cope Branch.

The Clubs have given youth a strong support system and inspired confidence in young people.

- Ronnie Maynes, Club member #34, 1961

On Wednesday, March 7 at the William E. Cope Boys & Girls Club Branch, a group of hopeful ticket holders gathered for the first of four drawings in the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver’s Dream House Raffle.

Amy Nichols with BGCMD President, John Arigoni and Club members at Early Bird Drawing 1 held at the William E. Cope Branch 3/7/12

Amy Nichols, a self-employed antiques dealer in Denver, arrived at the Club early to get a tour from Manuel, a regular Club attendee. “I purchased raffle tickets because I believe in the mission of Boys & Girls Clubs, but I wanted to see first-hand what I was supporting,” she said.

While Nichols did not come up a winner in this Early Bird drawing, another Denver resident did.

Linda Campbell, who bought a ticket for the Dream House Raffle for the first time this year, won $25,000 in the drawing. Campbell has a special connection to the Boys & Girls Clubs. Her son, Mitchell, now 18 and graduating from George Washington High School this spring, attended the Denver Broncos Boys & Girls Club in Montbello when he was younger.

“As a single parent, it felt so good to know Mitchell had a safe place to go after school,” she said. “When I would pick him up from the Club after work, he would be so happy – and his homework would be done.”

Campbell will put some of the money toward college – Mitchell plans to attend the Community College of Denver in the fall. Campbell herself is also working to finish her degree in sociology at the University of Colorado at Denver. She returned to school after the economic downfall.

Campbell also plans to use the money to buy a car. “Last year my car was totaled in an accident, and I couldn’t afford to buy a new one at the time,” she said. “I wasn’t expecting to win, and this is just such a blessing.”

Campbell is one of three cash winners from Wednesday’s drawing. The other two winners, Debbie Liptak from Ft. Collins who won $10,000, and Wade Grove of Thornton who won $5,000, were also surprised to hear they had won.
“The odds of winning something are pretty good,” said Grove. “But I was still surprised to get the call.”

Proceeds from the Dream House Raffle fundraiser directly benefit Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver, with all funds supporting the organization’s programs, including its 17 program sites across metro Denver.

All raffle tickets bought before the final Early Bird deadline of April 20 will be eligible for more than $90,000 in “Early Bird” prizes. The next Early Bird drawing will take place on April 4 at the Arthur E. Johnson Boys & Girls Clubs Branch. To qualify, participants must purchase tickets before March 23.

Dream House Raffle tickets will be sold through May 18 – with the Grand Prize Drawing taking place on June 2, at the J. Churchill Owen Boys & Girls Clubs Branch. The grand prize in the raffle is winner’s choice between a $3 million Cherry Creek home or $2 million in cash. Tickets can be purchased online (www.milehighraffle.com), by mail or in person (2017 West 9th Avenue, Denver, CO 80204), or by calling 303-892-9200.