Changing the Future One Life at a Time

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County

By Ryan G. Van Cleave  |  Photo by Nancy Guth

Over the organization’s 49-year history, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County (BGCSC) has provided children and teens with a safe, positive environment that enables them to reach their full potential both in and out of the classroom. This happens in a variety of ways, including helping young people practice healthy habits, plan for success after high school graduation, and learn what it takes to become an effective leader. 

Bill Sadlo, President/CEO of BGCSC, says, “We’ve grown tremendously over the years, and hit milestones that have positioned us to embark on our next step in our journey as a leader in youth development in Sarasota and beyond.” Now that the organization is poised to celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2020, Sadlo reports that they’re taking that commitment to youth empowerment even further through key strategic initiatives in Arcadia, Newtown, and North Port while continuing to find new and innovative ways to enhance existing programming efforts.

Regarding Arcadia, Sadlo says, “We will be hosting a groundbreaking ceremony in February 2020 of our new expansion project at the Louis and Gloria Flanzer Boys & Girls Club in Arcadia. In July 2019, the City of Arcadia unanimously approved our organization’s plans for renovation of the Smith-Brown Recreation Center, which sits adjacent to the current Club location. The goal is to transform the structure into a multi-purpose gymnasium for youth with designated space for physical activities, project-based learning, and enrichment programs that further fosters Club members’ personal development.” To that end, the organization will add an additional 7,000 square feet to provide youth development programs to even more Club members.

Newtown’s Roy McBean Boys & Girls Club will also undergo a capital renovation in the coming years with a focus on heightening safety and security, as well as providing enhanced training program space for youth that will help them plan for a future career. In North Port, their Board of Directors has teamed up with a task force made up of their executive team and prominent community leaders to examine the area’s rapid growth and strategize ways in which they can effectively expand their reach.

One thing is at the heart of all that the BGCSC believes—they go where kids need them most. “While we serve thousands of children and teens each year,” explains Sadlo, “we place our greatest emphasis on the development of each individual, which instills a sense of hope and opportunity and is the best gift you could ever give to a child. When people support the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County, that means they’re supporting the arts, academics, health, leadership, and entrepreneurship.” To support the Clubs is to join like-minded people who are concerned about the future of our community—and doing something about it.

One thing the BGCSC is NOT is a babysitting service. Instead, they’re a comprehensive youth development agency with a full range of outcome-driven programs. Talk to any of their employees and it’s immediately apparent that they pride themselves on providing a safe, positive place where youth can go during out-of-school times, and where they can participate in programs with trained youth development professionals. But it’s far more than that, Sadlo notes. “Our organization believes every child is destined for greatness, and we’ll do whatever it takes to help our Club members succeed. For 50 years, we’ve relentlessly provided children and teens with the knowledge and tools they need to become the next generation of community leaders.”

One of the most successful programs BGCSC has is their Teen Program. In fact, the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and its Florida Area Council presented Sadlo’s organization with the 2019 Core Program Award in Character and Leadership Development for this transformative program which provides middle and high school students with top-level leadership, service, and entrepreneurial opportunities, as well as vocational, college, and career preparation. Sadlo points out that some of the notable offerings under the Teen Program umbrella include STAR (Students Taking Active Roles) Leadership Training, SRQVolunteen, Perlman Price Young Entrepreneurs and the Tom & Debbie Shapiro Career Resource Center. Some highlights from their Teen Program include teens starting their own businesses; high school students serving as full-voting members of nonprofit, city, or county boards throughout Sarasota County; middle and high school students making a meaningful difference in the community through service projects and volunteer efforts; and having local Club members earn four out of the last seven State of Florida Youth of the Year awards.

So, clearly there’s a lot to celebrate, and as their 50th year of operation begins in 2020, they’ll continue their current slate of events. Sadlo explains that “Each occasion (such as our Steak & Burger Celebration of Youth and Outstanding Alumni in February and our Champions for Children gala in November) will be elevated to feature organizational milestones over the past five decades with familiar local faces who helped us become the area’s leading youth-serving organization. We will also host numerous smaller, community events both onsite at one of our Club locations, and offsite with partner businesses. Plus, a number of ambassadors are committed to helping us celebrate 2020, including the founding members of Club Blue, which is a group of dynamic local professionals who have come together to advance our mission through volunteerism, advocacy and mentorship.”

Surprisingly, the best compliment they hear most also speaks to their biggest challenge—it’s some variation on “I had no idea you did all of this!” that people offer after taking a tour. While in 2018 alone they provided 230,000 meals and snacks to Club members, had 2,700 youth participate in K-5 educational programs, and had nearly 2,500 participants in their arts programs, too few people know about BGCSC and what they do. As Sadlo says, “That’s why we prioritize Club tours, and invite community members to come see what’s inside. We guarantee they’ll like what they see.”

Come out and see for yourself what a difference they’re making.

FOR MORE INFORMATIONon the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County, please visit www.bgcsarasota.com or call 941.366.3911.