GAINESVILLE – It was a full house in the Gainesville Civic Center Tuesday evening for the 16th annual “Futures for Kids Gala” benefiting the Boys & Girls Clubs of Lanier.
Featured speaker was 4-time heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield. (To hear an interview with Holyfield use the audio player to the left.)
According to Boys & Girls Clubs of Lanier CEO Steven Mickens, club growth was strong. “We now have fifteen club site locations; eleven clubs that are in schools.” That includes one club site in Forsyth County.
“Back in 2011 our average daily attendance was 350 kids coming to our clubs each and every day,” Mickens said. “I’m proud to say today that we now serve 985 kids each and every day.”
“We are the third largest Boys & Girls Club in the state of Georgia,” Mickens added, saying that membership would be higher but capacity is limited at some locations. “We just can’t open them up fast enough.”
Mickens said of those involved with Boys & Girls Clubs of Lanier, academic success was still the focus. “We continue to have a 100-percent graduation rate since 2006.”
Receiving the Club’s highest honor, the Phillip Sartain Helping Hands Award, was Gene Marlow who for the past 56 years has coached youth baseball.
(To view a photo gallery of the evening click on the photo above and scroll through the 36 images using the arrows on either side of the image.)
