Boys and Girls Clubs of Marion County
The Positive Place for Kids
Come join us to benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of Marion County and be part of The 11th Annual Rotary Club of Ocala – Sunset Golf Scramble. The event will be at Ocala Golf Club on Friday February 10th, 2017.
Registration: 11:00am
Lunch 11:15-12:15pm Complimentary Beverages
Shotgun Start – Scramble – 12:30pm
Click to see Sponsorship levels..
Join The Edge Effect and Evan Taylor Jones for a free concert this Saturday from 5 to 9 p.m. at Webb Field recreation complex, at the corner of S.R. 40 and Martin Luther King Boulevard in Ocala. The celebration will benefit Young Life and The Boys & Girls Clubs of Marion County.
The end of September brought a harvest of volunteers from the local Lowe’s Home Center, along with several independent contractors, who gave the Dr. H.L. Harrell Sr. Unit a beautifying face lift. Their benevolent efforts of painting, rewiring light fixtures, replacing ceiling and floor tiles and installing window blinds has greatly enhanced the appearance of the facility for the kids.
Joe Justice, Store Manager from Lowe’s Home Center on SR200 in Southwest Ocala, said that this endeavor is an annual event. Lowe’s does this type of exercise on a continuing basis to help non-profits keep up their appearances in cases where they might not be able to finance such remodeling enhancements. This is Lowe’s way of giving back to the community they serve.
We at the Boys & Girls Club would like to thank Lowe’s for their heartfelt contribution!
Florida Commissioner of Education Pam Stewart
OCALA, FL – Former Vanguard High School Principal and Commissioner of Education Pam Stewart will be the keynote speaker at the annual Boys & Girls Clubs Leadership & Legislative Day, October 16th.
The annual event draws public officials and community leaders with an interest in issues related to youth in Marion County. The lunchtime event will be held at the Ocala Campus of the Boys & Girls Clubs.
Commissioner Stewart began her teaching career in Hillsborough County before moving to Marion County where she spent 25 years in education. She was a guidance counselor, district testing and research specialist, assistant principal, and then principal at both the elementary and high school levels.
In 2004, she was named Deputy Chancellor for Educator Quality at the Florida Department of Education. She served in that position until 2009 when she moved to the St. Johns County School District to become Deputy Superintendent for Academic Services.
She returned to the department in 2011 and became interim Commissioner of Education for the second time in August of 2013. The State Board of Education voted for her appointment in September of 2013. In her role as Commissioner of Education, she oversees K-12 Public Schools, the Florida Colleges System, Vocational Rehabilitation and Blind Services.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Marion County serve more than 1,000 children annually with branches in Ocala, Dunnellon and Silver Springs Shores. The Clubs serve all children, especially those most in need, by providing programs and activities to foster academic success, good character and healthy lifestyles.
In the State of Florida, members of the Boys & Girls Clubs are absent from school half as often as their peers, have a higher percentage of grade promotion and save taxpayers $9,000 annually for each student not held back a grade.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Carswell Ponder at (352) 690-7519 or cponder@bgcofmarion.com
On Friday, June 12, 2015, the Boys and Girls Club of Marion County will be holding a BBQ Ribs Cook Out to support the many programs and activities for the children of our county. We are looking for community businesses and individuals who will be willing to support this event on one of the following Levels:
Title Sponsor: $1,500
Gold Sponsor: $1,000
Silver Sponsor: $500
Please make checks payable to the Boys and Girls Club of Marion County and send to:
Boys and Girls Club of Marion Count
P.O. Box 4109
Ocala, Florida 34478-4109
For more information, please contact Carswell Ponder at 352-690-7519 or CPonder@bgcofmarion.com
The Silver Springs Shores 8th Annual Lew Kindberg Charity Golf Tournament will be held on Saturday, April 4th, 2015. The tournament is named after Lew Kindberg, who loved golf and who loved the kids much more. Lew passed away recently but the event will be a tribute to his untiring efforts to help the youth of Silver Springs Shores.
The tournament will be held at the Silver Springs Shores Golf and Country Club with the proceeds benefiting the Boys and Girls Club of Marion County. The format is a 4 person Scramble. A shotgun start at 8:00 a.m. will be followed by prizes, lunch and raffle drawings. The entry fee per player is $65. The entry fee for Silver Springs Shores Golf and Country Club Members is $50. Make checks payable to the Boys and Girls Club of Marion County, and send to P. O. Box 4109, Ocala, Fla. 34478. For information contact Carswell Ponder at 352-690-7519. The Country Club at Silver Springs Shores is located at 565 Silver Road, Ocala, Florida which is in Silver Springs Shores.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Marion County, which provide youth development programs for about a thousand local kids, has hired Stan Creel as its new Executive Director. Mr. Creel is replacing Jerry Lane, who retired in 2014 after a career of more than 40 years in the Boys & Girls Club.
“I am excited about seeing the Boys and Girls Club soar to new heights,” Mr. Creel said. “I’m eager to hear the board’s vision and then lead our team of staff to create exceptional environments and programs for the youth and families of Ocala and Marion County.”
Prior to the Boys & Girls Clubs, Mr. Creel supervised special events for the City of Ocala Recreation and Parks Department. During his tenure at the city he lead youth and adult programming, including summer camps and after school programs for the E.D. Croskey Recreation Center.
Mr. Creel is a graduate of the University of Florida with a degree in Recreation, Parks and Tourism. He works with youth programming and as a karate instructor at Meadowbrook Church. His is also a member of the City of Ocala Racial Harmony and Cultural Awareness Task Force.
One of his goals for the Boys & Girls Clubs is to improve its facilities: “I want to see a new facility built in Silver Springs Shores, so that children in that community have the same benefits and opportunities as our current locations. Improving the quality of our current facilities will be a high priority upon my commencement.”
Jerry Lane, who continues to support the Boys & Girls Club as a volunteer, began his career with the organization in Hamilton, Ohio as a fresh graduate from Ohio University.
“Everything I learned was from that first director,” Mr. Lane said.”He was an old school guy who was there forever, but he was a lot of fun.”
Mr. Lane led the clubs in Marion County since 2005. During his tenure the organization added units in Silver Springs Shores and opened a new facility in Dunnellon. His son and daughter-in-law work for the Boys & Girls Club in Lakeland, Florida.
“It’s very important to keep kids involved so they’re not on the streets,” Mr. Lane said.”Free time is not good time for teens, so we try to keep them busy. We work on character development and we give them hope. We try to get them not to give up on things when things get rough.”
When considering his legacy with the organization, Mr. Lane recalls a young man he served when he was Executive Director of the Gainesville club. “He still has issues from when he was a little kid. And he still calls wanting advice when things aren’t going right. He’s in his 30s now.”
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Marion County serve more than 1,000 children annually with branches in Ocala, Dunnellon and Silver Springs Shores. The Clubs serve children, especially those in need, by providing targeted programs and activities that focus on academic success, character development and healthy lifestyles.
Ready to Roc? Mark your calendars for Roc with the Docs and join us at the Ocala Hilton on February 6th, 2014 at 6:00 p.m. for an evening of fine dining, dancing and an auction that benefits the Boys & Girls Clubs of Marion County.
The gala event features the band, Second Opinion, which is composed of area physicians and healthcare professionals. The event is organized by the Boys & Girls Club board of directors, staff, members, and volunteers and a key to the event’s success are the corporate, business, and individual sponsors. This year’s silent and live auctions offer incredible items and vacation options on which attendees can bid.
The auction offers bidding and raffle items – many one-of-a-kind opportunities including travel, unique gifts, jewelry, and more! To purchase individual tickets, reserve tables of 10, or inquire about sponsorship contact Carswell Ponder at 352-425-0277 or mail at cponder@bgcofmarion.com.
OCALA, FL — Gateway Bank of Central Florida, along with more than 300 runners and community sponsors, raised $21,490 in support of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Marion County at the annual Reindeer Run on December 13th. The race, which started and finished at Gateway Bank on Silver Springs Boulevard, kicked off the 59th annual Ocala Christmas Parade.
The 5K event included several runners from the Dunnellon Unit of the Boys & Girls Club. Club member Victoria Ricketts placed third in the Rudolph Dash. Other club runners included Seigo Aponte, Tanner Bergeron, Brandon King, Janyris Torres and Rosie Bailey.
“The heart and soul of Gateway Bank is built around the community. Supporting the Boys and Girls Club thru the Reindeer Run was a great way to show our support for young people , especially those in the most need,” said Tom Ingram, CEO of Gateway Bank of Central Florida. “We embrace the mission of the BGC to help our youth reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.”
Past board chairman Michael Warren received the check for the clubs. “The Boys & Girls Clubs are in the business of building great futures for more than a thousand kids in Marion County. We are tremendously grateful for the support of Gateway as well as all the sponsors and runners whose support will make a difference in the lives of our kids.”
In addition to Gateway Bank, the event was sponsored by FBC Mortgage, Palm Chevrolet & Kia, Zone Health & Fitness, Ford Lincoln of Ocala, Agricon, Infinite Ale Words, Ocala4sale, Florida Express Environmental, The Runner’s Pace, Signature Brands, ClosetMaid and George Mangan Insurance.
For a complete list of results and sponsors, please visit http://ocalareindeerrun.com.
