Holiday Cheer Spreads as Boys & Girls Clubs of America Alumni & Brand Supporters Continue Efforts to Help Youth Achieve Great Futures

With the holidays in full swing, loyal Boys & Girls Club celebrity alumni and brand partners are spreading joy and investing in the next generation of leaders, innovators and problem-solvers through December 31.

This holiday season, dedicated supporters continue to join forces to support Boys & Girls Clubs of America as they work together to provide safe spaces, caring mentors and life-enhancing experiences to over 3.6 million youth at nearly 5,000 Clubs across the nation, on Native lands and U.S military installations worldwide.

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NBA legend, former Boys & Girls Club kid and lifetime supporter of Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Shaquille O’Neal, provides holiday gifts and joy to hundreds of kids during a “Shaq-A-Claus” celebration at Shaquille O’Neal Boys & Girls Club of Henry County on December 14. (Photo: Business Wire)

A lifetime supporter and former Boys & Girls Club kid, Shaquille O’Neal decked the halls of the Shaquille O’Neal Boys & Girls Club of Henry County yesterday as he shared holiday gifts and joy with hundreds of Atlanta-area children from kindergarten to 12^th grade at his annual Shaq-A-Claus holiday party. Through the Shaquille O'Neal Foundation, the basketball legend continues his 21-year tradition of brightening the holidays by providing thousands of toys, clothing, meals, and more to deserving kids and teens across the country.

Smiles and holiday cheer spread to California, as Knorr and Boys & Girls Clubs of America enlisted two-time Emmy-winning television host and Boys & Girls Club alumni, Mario Lopez, to unveil the first kitchen at Boys & Girls Club of Burbank. At this event, Mario co-lead a live cooking class alongside a Knorr chef teaching participants how to make delicious and nutritious meals for under $4 per serving, such as the Knorr Chicken Tacos recipe. As Boys & Girls Clubs of America's Alumni Ambassador of Fitness, Mario advocates for youth and their families to be equipped with the essential skills and education for a healthy lifestyle and holiday season.

Additionally, this giving season, JLo Beauty – a beauty and lifestyle brand founded by Jennifer Lopez, donated $40,000 from the brand’s holiday sales to support Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s mission to help all young people reach their full potential. JLo Beauty partnered with Boys & Girls Clubs of America through the brand’s “Glow It Forward” campaign, which is dedicated to paying it forward to causes that provide opportunities to shine. Club professionals provide resources, support and opportunities to help young people shine every day. Reflecting on a successful career in entertainment, beauty and more, Jennifer Lopez, a National Spokesperson for Boys & Girls Clubs of America, credits the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club for providing her first stage “shine” in performing arts, so the funds will be dedicated to this location.

“As we continue to honor the moment of this festive season, express gratitude and embrace the possibilities available for today’s young people, we are honored to have the support of so many influential industry-leaders, celebrity alumni supporters and corporate partners who share our belief that every child has what it takes to achieve a great future,” said Jim Clark, president & CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

Today, nearly 5,000 Boys & Girls Clubs provide safe spaces where young people can learn and grow. We believe every kid and teen deserves access to experiences and opportunities that change their lives for the better and are committed to doing whatever it takes to support youth on their path to a great future. In fact, according to Youth Right Now – a recent survey providing insights on America’s young people, 95% of Boys & Girls Club kids feel they have the skills needed to be successful in a job, while 89% similarly say their Club prepares them to persevere when things get hard and 78% of Club alumni are satisfied with their career, compared to 65% of adults from the general population.

This year, Boys & Girls Clubs of America is honored to team up with like-minded partners who have strengthened their commitment to youth through giving campaigns, in-store activations and opportunities to round up at the register. These efforts include:

adidas

adidas retail stores will invite customers to round-up or donate to support Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

ALDI

This holiday season, ALDI continues its partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America providing Clubs with resources surrounding programs like Healthy Habits, DEI and Trauma- Informed. ALDI is committed to supporting Children’s Health and Wellness to make a difference in their communities. Together ALDI and Boys & Girls Clubs of America are sharing resources that lead to positive youth and teen Club experiences not only through the holidays but throughout 2023.

Bridgestone

This holiday season, funds raised through Bridgestone Retail Operations’ Driving Great Futures program will provide 12 Clubs across the country with new vans and 20 Clubs with $20,000 Transportation grants to address critical mobility needs. Bridgestone will host van celebration events, with select Clubs receiving an additional $1,000 in holiday gifts, to unveil new vans to Club communities. Since its launch in 2015, the Driving Great Futures partnership has raised more than $20 million, providing Clubs across the country with van, transportation, and technology grants through customer and employee donations across its network of more than 2,200 stores nationwide. Annually (Jan – Dec), Bridgestone provides customers with an opportunity to give $1, $3, or $5 at the register to benefit Boys & Girls Clubs. To learn more about how to support this partnership visit Bridgestone Retail Operations partner page for details.

Cricket Wireless

For the third consecutive year, Cricket Wireless is launching its “12 Days of Cricket” holiday giving campaign to support Boys & Girls Clubs youth and their families. From Nov. 14 (in conjunction with World Kindness Day) to Nov. 30, Cricket surprised families across 17 markets (St. Louis, Atlanta, Boston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Hawaii, San Antonio, Phoenix, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Birmingham, Columbus, Sioux Falls, Dallas - Ft. Worth, Salt Lake City, Orlando) with gifts valued at over $140K. In addition, to help spread the holiday cheer more broadly, this year’s campaign includes a sweepstakes that will give Cricket customers nationwide a chance to win $2,000 and a Moto G Stylus 5G each week by scanning a QR code in 4,500+ stores beginning November 18 through January 5, 2023. This code will provide customers, who enter the sweepstakes, with an opportunity to donate to Boys & Girls Clubs of America. To learn more about how to support this partnership visit bgca.org/cricket for details. No purchase necessary. Sweepstakes ends 1/5/2023. Open to US residents; age of majority & older. Sponsored by Cricket Wireless LLC, 1025 Lenox Park Blvd NE, Atlanta, GA 30319. Void where prohibited. Visit http://www.cricketsweepstakes.com/12daysofcricket for Official Rules and details.

Forever 21

This holiday season, Forever 21 is offering many ways for consumers to give back. Customers will have the opportunity to round-up their purchase in-store to donate the rounded-up portion to Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Forever 21 has also committed to donating $1 to Boys & Girls Clubs of America for every item sold from their Cozy Collection. Additionally, customers will be invited to add $1, $3, or $5 donations to Boys & Girls Clubs of America to their online shopping cart at check-out.

Kohl’s

Now through December 31, 2022, Kohl’s will match individual donations to Boys & Girls Clubs of America, up to $1 million, to double the impact for kids.

Neiman Marcus

Neiman Marcus is partnering with Boys & Girls Clubs this holiday season to make their moments! Beginning October 24 through January 31, Neiman Marcus and Neiman Marcus Last Call customers will have the opportunity to donate to Boys & Girls Clubs of America while shopping online or in-stores and booking visits with Santa, supporting local Clubs in Neiman Marcus communities.

Parichute, The Coca-Cola Company and players of many Major League Soccer (MLS), National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and United Soccer League (USL) teams

The Help Kick Hunger Challenge unites the youth organization with players in many Major League Soccer (MLS), National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and United Soccer League (USL) cities, raising awareness and funds to provide meals to millions of young people across America. Additionally, now through December 31, The Coca-Cola Company will match all donations to Boys & Girls Clubs of America through the Help Kick Hunger campaign, up to $50,000, doubling the potential impact to keeping kids fed, fueled and focused on achieving their full potential. Click here to learn more and donate at app.parichute.com/project/help-kick-hunger.

Papa Johns

Feed a Shaq-sized family with the Shaq-a-Roni! This pizza with a purpose features eight foldable Shaq-sized slices loaded with extra cheese and extra pepperoni on each extra-large slice. For each Shaq-a-Roni sold now through December 24, Papa Johns will donate $1 to The Papa John’s Foundation, which has supported Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s youth leadership programs since 2019.

Wayback Burgers

On Giving Tuesday, November 29, Wayback Burgers will celebrate the season of giving by donating 10% of all sales to Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

To learn more about how Boys & Girls Clubs of America invests in America’s future generation of leaders, innovators and problem-solvers, visit www.bgca.org. After all, they’re the only next generation we’ve got.

About Boys & Girls Clubs of America

For 160 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA.org) has provided a safe place for kids and teens to learn and grow. Clubs offer caring adult mentors, fun and friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Boys & Girls Clubs programming promotes academic success, good character and leadership, and healthy lifestyles. Nearly 5,000 Clubs serve over 3.6 million young people through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs are located in cities, towns, public housing and on Native lands throughout the country, and serve military families in BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide. National headquarters are located in Atlanta. Learn more about Boys & Girls Clubs of America on Facebook and Twitter.

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