Wilmington Club Teens Celebrate Mother's Day

Alma de Oro Ballet Folklorico of Carson which some of our younger

Club members are part of, performed at our Mother's Day Celebration.

We often have celebrations at our Clubs to honor the accomplishments of our youth, but it's a very special day when our youth honor the people who support them. On May 9, our Wilmington Club High School Center members, part of the Keystone leadership group, held their annual Mother's Day Celebration. They raised funds to host a special banquet and live show for their families including entertainment by Mariachi Mendez and Alma de Oro Ballet Folklorico.

Our Wilmington teens decided to extend Cinco de Mayo festivities with a "Fiesta" theme for this year's Mother's Day Celebration which 150 attended. When the live mariachi performers surprised the families midway through dinner, youth members approached their mothers with a rose to express their love and appreciation. Some youth, whose mothers could not attend, honored a mentor, friend or one of the staff members at our Club, like Director Hilda Chacon, who has made a difference in their lives.

One of our Wilmington Club teens presents her mother with a rose.

Our teens arranged for Mariachi Mendez to surprise their families midway through dinner.

Club Youth Walk with Mayor Garcetti

Our Wilmington Club Youth of the Year introducing Mayor Garcetti.

A major program component in our three high school centers is character and leadership development. Our youth groups, Keystone and Torch Club, frequently volunteer with different projects and organizations to help improve our community. They are inspired by local leaders and assist when given the opportunity. On April 12, our teens joined Mayor Garcetti's Harbor Area Walk in Wilmington. Councilman Joe Buscaino gave our Wilmington Club Youth of the Year, Crystal Cabello, the privilege of introducing Mayor Garcetti at the kickoff event. It was a great experience for our students to work alongside local leaders in community conversations.

Mayor Garcetti with our Wilmington Club teen volunteers.

Executive Director Mike Lansing with our teen volunteers at the Mayor Garcetti Harbor Area Walk.

Wilmington Boys & Girls Club Celebrates Women’s History Month

Gabriela Medina, Cecilia Moreno and Lupe Lopez participating in our panel event.

March is Women’s History Month and our Wilmington Club celebrated by commemorating local female leaders in the Los Angeles Harbor area who inspire our youth. Our Keystone student leadership group coordinated a panel event with Cecilia Moreno, Port of LA Community Affairs Advocate, Lupe Lopez, United Way of Greater Los Angeles Administrative Coordinator, and Gabriela Medina, Field Deputy for Councilmember Joe Buscaino, as moderator.

Our Keystone created table center pieces honoring 

celebrated women throughout history.

Our Keystone group prepared the event with guidance from Wilmington Club High School Center Director Hilda Chacon. Tables were decorated with center pieces honoring famous women throughout history at this afternoon event for our youth, staff and board members.

Ms. Medina lead the panel asking Ms. Moreno and Ms. Lopez about the decisions they made in their youth to accomplish greatness. Both have strong ties to the Wilmington community and have each served as Honorary Mayor of Wilmington. They both expressed admiration for our Club’s College Bound program and stressed the importance of hard work in the face of adversity. They advised our youth to find what they love to do and develop their skills whether they choose to go to a traditional college after graduation or seek other paths.

Our youth thanking our guests for attending the panel.

After the final audience question, Keystone youth thanked our panelists and moderator for attending and serving as such great inspirations to our members. Ms. Medina closed the panel, speaking to the importance of community service organizations like the Boys & Girls Club that offer community youth opportunities to reach their full potential. We know that the girls and boys who attended left inspired after hearing the panelists’ stories of success.

Meet the Challenge Mural

Our completed Meet the Challenge mural of the Los Angeles Harbor.

On Saturday, February 1, we hosted the Meet the Challenge Mural Project in the San Pedro Boys & Girls Club gym. The mural project was inspired by our Meet the Challenge matching grant opportunity by an anonymous donor who has pledged to match all new or upgraded donations, up to $250,000, which would allow the Club to significantly expand and improve programming for harbor area youth in academics, arts and athletics.

Board President Yvonne Bogdanovich, Board VP Tamara Powers, 
Board member Kate Cocke and Executive Director Mike Lansing 
painting with Club youth.

Our Fine Arts Director Sandra Avila designed a 30’ by 14’ traveling mural of iconic Los Angeles harbor sights including the Port of LA, the Korean Bell of Friendship, Banning House and the Vincent Thomas Bridge stretching across the mural. We opened our San Pedro Club to long-standing friends of the Club and new supporters in the community to join our youth in painting the outlined design. 

LAPD Harbor Division Captain Nancy Lauer with our youth.

Keystone and Torch Club youth from our three Clubs set to work right away when the project started with assistance from local LAFD Station 48 and LAPD Harbor Division volunteers. Community leaders stopped by throughout the day and gravitated to the areas of the mural that held a special significance for them. Port Commissioner Anthony Pirozzi and family helped color in a freighter docking in the Port, while Wilmington Chamber Executive Director Dan Hoffman painted the area of the mural depicting Avalon Boulevard.

Petros Papadakis of Fox Sports Radio helping out with our mural.

Friends of the Club, Petros Papadakis of Fox Sports Radio and Olympic Gold Medalist Eric Fonoimoana brought their athletic enthusiasm to the project. Eric attended with high school volleyball player volunteers from the Dig 4 Kids Foundation. In support of a local arts project, San Pedro Arts Association Vice President Steve Magee and Warner Grand Theater Manager Lee Sweet attended to assist and view the progress of the community’s young artists.

Port Commissioner Anthony Pirozzi painting in a freighter in our mural.

We received much support from the Palos Verdes community with painting assistance from National Charity League Palos Verdes Chapter mother-daughter team volunteers who donated snacks for the event. Representatives from Palos Verdes Young Professionals, which selected our organization as their Nonprofit of 2014 volunteered their time to work alongside Club youth in creating the inspirational depiction.

The traveling mural will soon be making its way through Los Angeles Harbor Boys & Girls Club sites and will make appearances at community events to share with a wider audience. Thanks to all of our volunteer painters for Meeting the Challenge!

Thanks, LAFD Station 48, for the support!