What better thing to do this weekend than to enjoy a bike ride!! Its a great weekend to get excited for Bike for Boys & Girls Club!!! Sign up now for our biggest fundraiser of the year! https://www.bike4bgc.com/

Bike for Boys & Girls Club is gearing up!! Sign up now and begin fundraising to help us raise $500,000!!! Whether you ride or cheer on your friends and family, it will be an incredible day!! Support your local kids by signing up, donating, volunteering, and fundraising!! Follow this link for more information: https://www.bike4bgc.com/

Bratfest is coming up quick!! It will be an incredible few days with fun, games, music, and of course...brats!!! In order to get this all done, they need volunteers! The amazing thing is that they will donate to local charities for volunteer hours!! Sign up to volunteer and specify that you are volunteering for the Boys & Girls Club of Dane County and that money can count towards your Bike4BGC fundraising goal!!! Sign up now! Register for Bike for Boys & Girls Club now through this link: https://www.bike4bgc.com/ It will be a great ride!! https://www.bratfest.com/giving-back/volunteer-information/

So thankful for our partnership with MMSD, with AVID, our Board, and our incredible staff! Thank you to AVID for presenting us this award for our collective success in creating better futures for our students. Here's to another decade!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: BGCDC TO RECEIVE NATIONAL RECOGNITION; MORE THAN 200 AVID/TOPS STUDENTS ANNOUNCE COLLEGE PLANS BY SIGNING LETTERS OF INTENT TO 39 COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, RECEIVE OVER $1.6M IN SCHOLARSHIPS May 15, 2018 (Madison, WI) – The Boys & Girls Club of Dane County has received an award from the AVID national office for outstanding leadership in creating college opportunities for BGCDC students throughout the 11 years it has been operating. The award will be presented by Dr. Edward “Lee” Vargas, Executive Vice President for AVID at the press conference held on May 15, 2018 at 9:30am at Madison Area Technical College in room D1630 B & C. In addition, Boys & Girls Club of Dane County (BGCDC), in partnership with Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD), are thrilled to announce that 100% of its current AVID/TOPS senior class will graduate from high school and continue on to college in the Fall. These students have secured more than $1,600,000 in scholarships to support their college plans. On Tuesday, May 15, 2018, at Gordon Dining & Event Center, the students, along with more than 500 parents, educators, and donors, will celebrate this achievement with the program beginning at 6:30pm. “College Signing Day is an absolutely incredible event where we are able to recognize and celebrate the achievements of our AVID/TOPS students. Not only that, but the students are able to really enjoy their time and be proud of what they have achieved. Each and every one of these students worked so hard and we are so excited to use this night to highlight the amazing results that they absolutely deserve,” said Michael Johnson, outgoing CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Dane County. All 201 students attended the four MMSD high schools, La Follette, East, West, or Memorial, and are part of the AVID/TOPS program. AVID (Advancement via Individual Determination) is a college readiness system that includes an elective course focused on organizational strategies, study skills, critical thinking, tutorial support, and career and college awareness. AVID is partnered with the TOPS (Teens of Promise) program through the Boys & Girls Club of Dane County. TOPS provides full-time student coordinators in each of the four high schools, summer internships, after-school mentors, funding for more than 40 tutors during the elective course, and a variety of college and career field trips. The program started in 2007 at East High School with 28 students. It now serves nearly 1,000 students. As the program has expanded, there have been consistently positive results. “Congratulations to all of our AVID seniors. We are so proud of our students’ hard work and the futures they have ahead of them,” Superintendent Jennifer Cheatham said. “I want to thank the Boys and Girls Club for this partnership and all of our MMSD AVID staff for their work.” The event includes hors d’oeuvres with more than 600 people in attendance, entertainment, and notes from keynote speaker, Awa Fofana. Awa is an AVID/TOPS East High School Alumnus. She has recently graduated from UW-Madison, where she obtained a Bachelors of Business Administration Degree double-majoring in Marketing and Human Resources Management. Awa has recently accepted a position from Macy’s Corporation in New York, NY as an Executive Omni Merchant Buyer. During her time on campus she has interned for Kohl’s and CUNA Mutual Group. On campus she has been a member of the Multicultural Business Student Association, served as finance chair for the African Student Association, and was member of ASA Dance. ##

The Black Women's Leadership Conference is this Thursday and Friday! Get your tickets now for this awesome two-day event! You will hear inspiring talks from great speakers and leave with strategies to take your goals to the next level! https://www.bwlc2018.com/ Follow this link to get your tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/3rd-annual-black-womens-leadership-conference-tickets-43327247965

Sold out class!!! Thank you Hilldale and thank you Peter Kraus for putting this on and supporting our local kids!!!!

It is just two days away!! Sign up now for the Hilldale Hustle with Peter Kraus!! It is taking place this Thursday at 6PM at Hilldale Shopping Center!!! There is limited space and no same day drop ins. Your $20 sign up goes directly to the Boys & Girls Club of Dane County and it gets you a 45-minute bootcamp, camera time with Peter, post-workout samples and some pretty awesome swag! Here is the link to sign up: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hilldale-hustle-x-peter-kraus-fitness-tickets-45479958781?aff=eac2 Volunteers are needed!! Volunteers will need to arrive beginning around 5 or 5:30 to help with check-in and with the photo area. If you are interested in volunteering, please email kristin.riniker@wsdevelopment.com.

Michael Johnson shared today that he will resign from his position as president and CEO. We are so thankful for his eight incredible years of leadership to our organization that changed the lives of thousands of children and families in our community. We wish him the very best in his next endeavor and look forward to building on the great efforts he put in motion that positively impact youth in our community.

Exciting news!!! Hilldale is partnering with Peter Kraus for a bootcamp NEXT THURSDAY at 6PM at Hilldale Shopping Center!!! Sign up now to get your tickets!! There is limited space and no same day drop ins. Your $20 sign up goes directly to the Boys & Girls Club of Dane County and it gets you a 45-minute bootcamp, camera time with Peter, post-workout samples and some pretty awesome swag! Here is the link to sign up: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hilldale-hustle-x-peter-kraus-fitness-tickets-45479958781 We are also looking for volunteers to help out!! Volunteers will be needed beginning around 5 or 5:30 to help with check-in and with the photo area. If you are interested in volunteering, please email kristin.riniker@wsdevelopment.com.

US Cellular Volunteers conducted a volunteer event helping the community with spring cleaning at the club. 25 volunteers worked all day in the kitchen, classrooms, gym and common areas to help make it look good as new! Thank you for all of their help and thank you US Cellular for your support of BGCDC!

The Bike for Boys & Girls Club season is about to begin!! Join us *TONIGHT* at the Thirsty Goat in Fitchburg from 5:30PM-7PM for the Kickoff Party! There will be appetizers provided by the Boys & Girls Club as well as some exciting announcements! There are limited spots so RSVP now! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2018-bike-for-bgc-kickoff-event-tickets-44996014290 If you register for Bike for Boys & Girls Club prior to coming to the Kickoff event, you will get a free official Bike4BGC Pint Glass (while supplies last)! You can register for the ride here: https://www.bike4bgc.com/ See you there!