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!

Over 2,400 Thanksgiving Meals Served at Our Clubs

Every year, we host Thanksgiving Dinners at our Clubs including the San Pedro Boys & Girls Club, Wilmington Boys & Girls Club, Port of Los Angeles Boys & Girls Club and, this year for the first time, the new Harry Bridges Span School Club site in Wilmington. Open to all youth members of the Club and their families, the annual Thanksgiving Dinners offer families the opportunity to come together and celebrate as a community. 

Our Arts Academy band entertaining the community at our Wilmington Club dinner.

Attendees ate their dinner with the all of the trimmings in our Club gyms decked out with seasonal decorations. Live music was provided by our Arts Academy musicians and there were presentations by Club youth about what they are thankful for.

National Charity League mother-daughter volunteers at our San Pedro Club dinner.

The National Charity League Palos Verdes Chapter, Palos Verdes Rotary, San Pedro Rotary and Los Angeles City Fire Department Chief of Staff and Club Board member John Vidovich donated all of the turkeys and hams for the over 2,400 meals that were served at the four dinners from November 19 to November 22. Bonert’s Slice of Pie in Santa Ana donated all of the pumpkin pies served at the dinners.

National Charity League Ticktocker taking family portraits.

Volunteers from both Rotary groups attended the dinner at our newest site at Harry Bridges Span School to assist in serving. National Charity League mother-daughter team volunteers assisted at the San Pedro Club dinner and the Wilmington Club dinner, serving meals and taking family portraits for attendees to have a keepsake of the evening. Student volunteers from Marymount California University who are currently assisting with our programming, volunteered as servers at the Port of Los Angeles Club dinner. The Port of Los Angeles employee band even donated their time to entertain our families at our Port of Los Angeles Club dinner.

For some of the families we serve, this is the only hot meal they will be able to have together this season. Thanks to generous organizations like National Charity League, Rotary and individuals like John Vidovich we were able to ensure that all of our youth were given the opportunity to have a great Thanksgiving.

A Port of Los Angeles Club family enjoying their Thanksgiving.

Our San Pedro Club community celebrating Thanksgiving.