Boys & Girls Club's Norm Penner named National Executive of the Year The Boys & Girls Club of St. Lucie County’s Executive Director, Norm Penner was recently titled National Executive of the Year by Boys & Girls Clubs of America. The award was presented to Penner for the significant contributions he has made to the work of the Boys & Girls Club Profession. Norm Penner began his career with the Boys & Girls Club in 1963 and has worked as Boys & Girls Club of St. Lucie County’s dedicated Executive Director for past eleven years. Under his direction the Club grew from 12 sites to 19 and now serves over 4500 kids in the local community. He has deeply impacted the Boys & Girls Club movement by involving his board members and staff in leadership programs and trainings. Penner is an active member of over twelve local organizations including the Fort Pierce Rotary and the Executive Roundtable of St. Lucie County. In his acceptance speech, Norm exclaimed, “I am acutely aware of two things- there are hundreds of Club CEO’s that qualify to stand here and second, that I would not be standing here without the support of family, friends, colleagues and my staff.” Penner was awarded Executive of the Year at the Boys & Girls Club National Conference in New York City May 13th from the Boys & Girls Club Professional Association. The mission of the Professional Association is to enhance the work of Boys & Girls Club professionals through career development and networking opportunities, peer recognition and scholarships, and to act as an advocate for issue affecting the health, welfare and employment of Boys & Girls Club professionals.
Let the Music Play The Boys & Girls Club of St. Lucie County's Ken Pruitt Unit has won the grand prize of DoSomething.Org's Battle of the Bands campaign after Club members submitted their entry "Let the Musice Play". Launched alongside spokesperson Nick Jonas, the Battle of the Bands campaign encouraged teens to submit videos to DoSomething.org about the importance of music in their lives. Club Teen Director Marco Filippini wrote the song and Club members performed and recorded the song which can be viewed at http://www.dosomething.org/bands/entry/ken-pruitt-unit-boys-girls-club-st-lucie-county. The Ken Pruitt Unit's video "Let the Music Play" was submitted few weeks ago to Battle of the Bands after editing services were donated by Bongiovi Entertainment and audio recording services were donated by S-L-O Recording Studio.
"The effort to keep Music Ed in school...or bring it back is most important to me because I want my little brother and sister to have the same opportunities I had" says Club member Ashley Birch.
Esteemed judges from such notable places as Rolling Stone, VH1, MTV, EMI Records, and celebs like Vanessa Carlton reviewed the Battle of the Bands videos and have decided that the Boys & Girls Club video ROCKED! The Boys & Girls Club of St. Lucie County will receive a $5000 grant for their music program and is scheduled to perform before music executives at DoSomething.org's star-studded annual event at the Apollo Theater on May 24th. Four additional bands were also selected to receive up to $1000 for their school music programs, concert tickets, Rock Band video games, Fender guitars, and more. Boys & Girls Club Celebrates 15th Year  October 30, 2009 (St. Lucie County, FL) - Over 60 guests came to celebrate the beginning of a New Year for the Boys & Girls Club of St. Lucie County and to recognize community supporters. Service to Youth Awards were given to De Bowman and Jack Kelly for 15 years of dedication and to Jay McBee and Doug Farrell for their 10 years serving the Club. Board member, Stephanie Morgan received the "From the Heart Award" for her commitment to the Club's fundraising efforts and dedication to its youth.
Judi Miller, Executive Director for Big Brothers Big Sisters, was given the Woman and Youth award which recognizes a woman in our community who has dedicated their life and career to children. Miller has been associated with the Boys & Girls Club for more than a decade making sure that our children and families receive the care and direction they need to meet the challenges they face. "She is a tireless advocate for youth and has the respect and admiration of her colleagues and professionals." says Norm Penner, Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Club. The Man and Youth award recipient was Scott Van Duzer, someone in our community who has worked hard to make sure that the special needs of our families and children are met. Charles Cuomo stated, "Van Duzer has demonstrated concern and "can do" attitude with a member of the Boys & Girls Club who required special hospital care outside our community but who could not afford the expenses involved in such treatment." "We would be remiss if we did not thank our community for their support in our tough economic environment" stated Norm Penner. "Although it has been a difficult year for the Club, the Board's critical financial decisions have brought our expenses in line with our income and have positioned our organization for growth when the economy turns around."
"We remain focused on providing the same exceptional, quality programs upon which we have built our reputation and rededicate ourselves to those who need us most."
Boys & Girls Club Takes Road Trip To The Movies In a time when Many people look forward to a getaway during the summer and for members of the Boys & Girls Club of St. Luice County one escape is a free trip to the movies. Regal Entertainment Group is providing the local Boys & Girls Club with a grant to cover transportation, gas costs and staffing expenses for the journey. And Club members enjoy free admission during Regal's Free Family Film Festival.
"Our young people can't wait to take a trip to the movies and it wouldn't be possible without the generosity of Regal Entertainment Group," said Norm Penner of Boys & Girls Club. "The number of youth we serve often doubles in the summer, putting a strain on our financial and staff resources. We're certainly grateful for opportunities like Regal's Free Family Film Festival. Our goal is to offer fun and engaging activities for our young people, to constantly stretch their imagination while opening doors to a world of exploration and excitement."
"Regal Entertainment Group is very excited to partner with Boys & Girls Clubs of America and to provide financial support for local Clubs across the country. By providing these grants for transportation to our theatres, we will be able to host young people from numerous Boys & Girls Clubs this summer," said Dick Westerling, senior vice president of marketing and advertising for Regal Entertainment Group.
The Free Family Film Festival offers G and PG-rated movies for 9-weeks during the summer at participating Regal Cinemas, United Artists and Edwards Theatres. Boys & Girls Club of St. Lucie County shares the joy at Regal Cinema located at Treasure Coast Mall thanks to Regal's grant program entitled Mornings at the Movies.
Background on Regal Entertainment Group
Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC) is the largest motion picture exhibitor in the world. The Company's theatre circuit, comprising Regal Cinemas, United Artists Theatres and Edwards Theatres, operates 6,782 screens in 549 locations in 39 states and the District of Columbia. Regal operates theatres in all of the top 33 and 44 of the top 50 U.S. designated market areas. We believe that the size, reach and quality of the Company's theatre circuit not only provide its patrons with a convenient and enjoyable movie-going experience, but is also an exceptional platform to realize economies of scale in theatre operations.
Wal-Mart DONATION donation enables Important Boys & Girls Club Expansion In a time when hundreds of children are left at home alone without after school care and the Boys & Girls Club is full to the brim, there intervenes a ray of hope. Wal-Mart presented The Boys & Girls Club of St. Lucie County with a $20,000 donation that will help fund an important Expansion Project at their Port St. Lucie Clubhouse. A crowd of Boys & Girls Club supporters, Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club Management stood outside Sam’s Club Wednesday watching a Tae Kwon Doe show that Club members put on for the celebration. Eight club kids actually broke boards during the exhibit and last but not least Senator Ken Pruitt joined in the exercise and broke his first board as well. At the celebration, Senator Pruitt spoke of the generosity of Wal-Mart and the importance of the $20,000 donation for the Boys & Girls Club and its essential programs. The Boys & Girls Club Ken Pruitt Unit, located in Port St. Lucie, has long awaited the addition of two concrete-ables to their facility. Not only is the club on a constant waitlist, but the club’s teenagers and younger members have had to split a small trailer for their educational programs for years. Now due to Wal-Mart’s generosity and the support of Ken Pruitt, they will have been given the opportunity to expand. The plan for the new structures is for one to be used for the Education and Computer Lab while the other will strictly be devoted to a Teen Center. Club membership will be able to increase by at least 100 members. Ginny Dennison, Unit Director of the Club says, “The teens have waited a long time for their own space to work on the specialized programs and activities we have for their specific age range. We will also be able to expand the number of teen members at the Ken Pruitt Unit now reaching out to those who need us most in this area.”
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