Boys & Girls Club of Greater Holyoke, Inc. - GREAT FUTURES START HERE....

2012 BOYS & GIRLS CLUB YOUTH OF THE YEAR

GREAT FUTURES START HERE
BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF GREATER HOLYOKE, INC. 2012 YOUTH OF THE YEAR

Holyoke, MA – Holyoke, MA – Selected among several local outstanding youth, Gilbert Negron has been named 2012 Youth of the Year for the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Holyoke. Negron is a senior at Dean Technical Vocational High School and is planning to attend Springfield Technical Community College in the fall.   Negron will compete against other Boys & Girls Club members for the Massachusetts Youth of the Year title and a $1,000 college scholarship from Tupperware Brands Corporation.  Being named Youth of the Year is the highest honor a Boys & Girls Club member can receive.  Negron is among hundreds of local Youth of the Year winners across the country recognized by Boys & Girls Clubs of America for his sound character, leadership skills and willingness to give back to the community.
Negron will be honored, along with other local clubs’ Youth of the Year winners, at the annual Youth of the Year dinner to be held May 31, at the Ludlow Country Club.

Comcast Cares Day

Dear Boys and Girls Club Friend

Comcast’s signature day of service, Comcast Cares Day, is April 21. I hope that you will be part of our story of how we give back.

For nearly 50 years, Comcast has been committed to strengthening local communities. We help communities “dream big” by providing access to innovative technology, volunteering our time, giving financial support and partnering with great organizations.

It’s always been the Comcast way to join in and give back to our neighbors and our neighborhoods. This year is especially exciting because we will be joined by our colleagues from NBCUniversal at projects from coast to coast. In addition, this year Comcast Cares Day occurs a day before the global celebration of Earth Day — so we are going to be part of an amazing weekend of caring for our communities worldwide.

Our History

Since 2001, more than 360,000 Comcast volunteers have donated more than 2.1 million hours of service at nearly 3,500 Comcast Cares Day projects. In 2011, nearly 70,000 employees, family members, friends, elected officials, and community partners donated more than 417,000 hours of service to 659 community projects in 39 states and Washington, D.C. The impact that we’ve had in the past decade through just our “day” of service has been enormous.

We want to build on this momentum for the upcoming Comcast Cares Day to kick off our next decade of Cares Days with a great start. If we can increase the number of volunteers that join us, we will continue to increase the number of schools revitalized, the gardens being tended, and the neighborhoods improved. We hope you will help us reach this goal.

To participate

Please contact your local Comcast representative and ask how you can get involved. We would be delighted to work with you on April 21 to make a difference in our communities and our neighborhoods across the country.

We also invite you to “like” Comcast dream big on Facebook and follow Comcastdreambig on Twitter for updates on how we power dreams in our communities. Also, tweet about us using the hash tag #CCDay. We encourage you to share how you are part of the momentum.

Thank you and have fun on April 21.

Fred Maahs

Director of Community Investment, National Partnerships

Vice President, Comcast Foundation

Holyoke Police Volunteer to Lessen Crime

HOLYOKE, MA (WSHM) -

It may have looked like all fun and games at the Holyoke Boys and Girls Club, but police say it's so much more.

Kids and police together were jumping, laughing and playing all in an effort to bridge the gap between police and citizens to lessen crime.

"By having this personal interaction, it definitely takes away the uniform," Lt. Matthew Moriarty with the Holyoke Police Department told CBS 3.

Some of the biggest hurdles those with a badge face is the mistrust and misinformation among the community. As these officers sit down and spend one-on-one time with those they have vowed to serve and protect, they're hoping to end the stigma and work together with the future of the city.

"We've started our community policing effort, led by Lt. Febo, they're doing a great job, and if these little events can help out, we're more than happy," said Moriarty.

For kids like 13-year-old Nathaniel Rivera, nights like these give an entirely new perspective on the city's police officers.

"It's nice to play with my friends and also police officers that have experience outside, and they're real people," Rivera told CBS 3.

Police tell CBS 3 that the closer they can get with members of the community, the more likely they are to make an impact on crime and violence.

"The information we get from our citizens helps us and the entire city," said Moriarty.

And with each relationship they make at events like this they feel they can continue to impact the lives of those in the city they protect.

"The kids are smiling, they're laughing and it's not us versus them, we're all on the same team," said Lt. Moriarty. "So we're working together in a game that can easily lead to a lifetime of working together."

HOLYOKE YOUTH WINS REGIONAL CLUB TECH DIGITAL ARTS FESTIVAL

Boys & Girls Club Member to Compete for National Prize in Photo Tech Category

Holyoke, MA 1/23/2012 – Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) named Naijah Walter the regional winner in its 10th Annual Club Tech Digital Arts Festivals competition for her entry in the Photo Tech category. As a regional winner, Walter, 9 will move on to represent the Northeast region at the national level of competition for the 6-9 age group.

For the Photo Tech category, Boys & Girls Club members were asked to create a poster that showcased citizens engaged in activities that give back to their community or depicts someone who models good character. Walter poster creation, entitled Tech Club, showcased her creativity and tech skills learned at Boys & Girls Club of Greater Holyoke, Inc. The entry will be judged by a panel of national experts.

“Through the Club Tech Digital Arts Festivals we’re able to inspire our future designers, game developers, filmmakers and musicians,” said Dan Rauzi, senior director of technology programs, Boys & Girls Clubs of America. “It is amazing what our kids and teens can do when given access to technology and allowed to express themselves creatively.”

Club Tech Digital Arts Festivals allow BGCA, along with sponsors Microsoft and Comcast, to give young people an avenue to get creative and design original pieces of digital artwork—from posters and PSAs to stop-motion animation and logos. The competition is one component of the Club Tech program which teaches critical technology skills. Members from across the globe, age 6-18 can take the tech skills they’ve learned through their Boys & Girls Clubs and enter various categories. In 2010, more than 20,000 young people participated in local contests.

“With Club Tech, members are introduced to the world of clay animation, robotics, game design, digital movie making, photo illustration, graphic design and music production,” added Rauzi. “We’re giving them real-world skills that will not only help them excel in school, but create a future career.” 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. To learn more about the technology programs offered at Boys & Girls Clubs, visit www.bgca.org/clubtech. About Boys & Girls Club of Greater Holyoke, Inc.

About Club Tech

Club Tech was created by Boys & Girls Clubs of America (www.bgca.org/clubtech) and Microsoft (www.microsoft.com) in 2000 to technologically enable Clubs worldwide, transforming Clubs from "swim and gym" to "point and click" destinations. Partnering with longtime supporter Comcast (www.comcast.com) and Microsoft, BGCA provides technology program access to some 4 million youth served through Club membership and community outreach at nearly 4,000 Clubs. By leveling the virtual playing field, kids of all ages and circumstances now have access to the same resources and skills to help them discover their world, expand creativity, perform better in school, and eventually take their technology know-how into the workplace.

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Amy Lamparter, 404-487-5856, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. )