Marshall has been named outdoor and environmental manager for Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland, a new position in which she will oversee nature- and environmental-based initiatives at the Clubs and coordinate programming at the Morgana Bluffs Nature Preserve and Learning Center. The preserve, set to open Oct. 18, is located next to BGCC’s Broadway Club.

She previously worked at Lake Erie Science & Nature Center and at Footpath Foundation, where she helped run the Footpath Nature Club sessions at Clubs in Cleveland and Lorain County.

“My main thing is getting kids excited about exploring nature,” says Marshall, who lives in Shaker Heights.

The 2011 Euclid High School graduate surprised just about everyone when she decided to attend Alaska Pacific University, a small liberal arts college in Anchorage. “I wanted to study glaciers,” Marshall says with a smile. “I found out pretty quickly that glaciers are hard to study.”

But the university’s focus on hands-on learning was a perfect fit for Marshall.

“I believe that is the best way for people to learn,” she says. She did just that, helping start farms, working closely with Native Alaskans and becoming an activist in efforts to protect natural resources, including the sockeye salmon fishery threatened by a proposed copper and gold mine.

Marshall, who became known on campus as “the green girl,” graduated with a double major in environmental studies and psychology before moving back to Cleveland. At LESNC and Footpath Foundation, she learned how to prepare lessons for kids studying nature and teach them.

In her “spare” time, Marshall enjoys bowling – “I’m legit,” she says – birding and playing guitar.

Her father, who works for the Cleveland Municipal School District, and mother live in the same Euclid home the family has owned for decades. Her twin sister, Monique, works for the U.S. Postal Service.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland provides safe, fun places for kids ages 6-18 after school at 13 locations throughout the city, focusing on healthy lifestyles, academic success and character development. Each day, an average of about 1,000 kids go to the Clubs. BGCC is a branch of Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio, which also includes Clubs in Akron, Lorain County and Erie County.

The dedication ceremony, which included public officials, neighborhood advocates, project partners and members of Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland’s Broadway Club, marked the opening of the preserve on property where the powerhouse for the massive Cleveland Worsted Mill Co. complex once stood. The Broadway Avenue site is next to BGCC’s Broadway Club, the Morgana Run Trail and Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s Mound STEM School.

The preserve will be used for nature-based programming. It is open to the public.

 “All kids need outdoor experiences to become responsible and productive adults.  This project will give approximately 1,700 youth in this neighborhood access to a place where they can discover nature,” said Ron Soeder, president and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland, which coordinated the project along with, the City of Cleveland, Cleveland Metropolitan School District, the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, the Clean Ohio Fund, the Ohio & Erie Canalway, Slavic Village Development Corporation and West Creek Conservancy.

Soeder added, “This project is an investment in the neighborhood and the opportunity to turn a vacant lot into a community asset.” He said the entire learning center “campus” – the project site plus the adjacent school, trail and BGCC properties – actually totals about 13.5 acres.

The project, which features trails, boardwalks and an amphitheater, was funded with money from the state’s Clean Ohio Greenspace Conservation Fund ($297,790), a Green Infrastructure Grant from the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District ($242,420) and the Ohio & Erie Canalway Strategic Initiative Program ($46,230). In addition, key in-kind services were provided by West Creek Conservancy (consulting and planning), Cleveland Metropolitan School District (donated conservation easement) and Slavic Village Development (consulting and planning). Third Federal Foundation has also agreed to assist with grounds maintenance.

The project improves the quality of the existing wetlands, restores degraded landscapes, removes invasive plant species, creates areas for outdoor programming, improves water quality and protects rare plant and animal species.

Attendees and Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland members tossed milkweed seed “bombs” – seeds encased in mud – into the new preserve to mark the opening. The seed bombs will promote the growth of milkweed, the sole host plant of the endangered monarch butterfly.

Worsted Mill, which operated from 1878 to 1956, was once one of the largest garment manufacturers in the country. The factory sat on the upper property that is now Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland’s headquarters, while its powerhouse was located on the project site below.

After the mill closed, the buildings were never fully occupied, though sometimes used as warehouses for smaller firms and other times being vacant. On July 4, 1993 a spectacular fire destroyed the complex.

In 2011, the city and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency conducted an environmental assessment and remediation on the lower portion of the site, cleaning up remnants of a junkyard, reviewing fuel tank locations and removing a crumbling smokestack. The remediation also removed several tons of junk tires and filled in the old tunnels that led to the upper mill site.

About Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland

Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland provides safe, fun places for kids ages 6-18 after school at locations throughout the city, focusing on healthy lifestyles, academic success and character development. Each day, an average of about 1,000 kids go to the Clubs.

About Slavic Village Development

Slavic Village Development works with and for its residents, businesses, and institutions to promote civic engagement, community empowerment, and neighborhood investment.

About West Creek Conservancy

West Creek is a nonprofit land conservancy whose mission is to enrich the lives of people in Greater Cleveland by conserving natural habitats, restoring the ecological value and sustainability of urban lands, and expanding neighborhood opportunities to experience nature.

About Third Federal Foundation

Third Federal Savings and Loan and its foundation, along with various community, private, and civic partners, have worked to build an integrated continuum of support for education, youth development (in and out of school), and revitalization in the Slavic Village neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio, and other communities in which it operates.

About the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District

The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District protects public health and the environment by leading effective wastewater and stormwater management. As the largest wastewater treatment provider in the State of Ohio, the Sewer District spans 380 square miles, serves 62 communities and one million residents, and treats 90 billion gallons of wastewater a year.

About the Clean Ohio Fund

The Clean Ohio Fund restores, protects, and connects Ohio’s important natural and urban places by preserving green space and farmland, improving outdoor recreation, and cleaning up brownfields to encourage redevelopment and revitalize communities.

About the Ohio & Erie Canalway

The Ohio & Erie Canalway is a National Heritage Area, designated by Congress to help preserve and celebrate the rails, trails, landscapes, towns and sites that grew up along the first 110 miles of the canal that helped Ohio and our nation grow. The Ohio & Erie Canalway is an affiliated unit of the National Park Service.

The Northern Ohio Trauma System Violence Prevention Program has been accepted into the National Network of Hospital-based Violence Intervention Programs. The NNHVIP network strives “to stop the revolving door of violent injury” by de-escalating volatile situations in hospitals throughout the U.S.

The local, hospital-based initiative is one of only 38 in the country in this network. At Cleveland’s MetroHealth System and University Hospitals, the work is led by Cleveland Peacemakers Alliance, a community-based organization committed to stemming the tide of violent retaliatory actions.

“This is a major step forward,” said Andrea Martemus-Peters, Violence Injury Prevention Coordinator for the Northern Ohio Trauma System. “The opportunity to learn best practices from other programs in the network will help continue to build on our current programming and will enable us to work with others to promote the importance of violence prevention. Additionally, we will have an opportunity to communicate directly with staff that have done research on this pressing social issue.”

Programs in the national network share knowledge, develop best practices, collaborate on research and affect policy change.

 “The work that our staff is leading, side by side with the hospital trauma care teams, has proven to be a real game-changer,” Cleveland Peacemakers Alliance Board Chair Kevin Griffin said. “We are able to meet young people and their families in the safe environment of a hospital where, together with our hospital partners, we can provide for their physical care and connect with these young people to help provide wraparound services at a real moment of crisis. The hospital-based programs allow our team to build relationships with young people at the moment of truth.”  

Peacemakers Alliance Director Sharyna Cloud said, “Our organization has worked diligently outside the trauma centers to develop the relationships that can change lives during times of crisis. The shared experiences, the uncomfortable encounters, and the familiarity with our young people and their families allow us to take advantage of that ‘golden moment’ – the moment in time at the hospital when we can help the young people see clearly their next couple of steps.”

There is evidence that hospital-based violence interruption programs work and are cost-effective.

A study done by the University of California San Francisco showed the cost of surgery for a single gunshot wound victim is approximately the same as the annual cost of the average hospital-based violence interruption program. This means the hospital-based program is effectively cost neutral if it prevents just one injury and becomes a cost savings for every injury prevented thereafter.

About NOTS

Established in 2010, NOTS was founded to serve the residents of Northern Ohio by improving the care of patients with traumatic injuries. NOTS has 10 working committees, which have developed and matured into collaborative and productive groups. NOTS committee members work to implement protocols, develop quality-related action plans, institute guidelines, increase trauma education and collectively work to improve trauma patient outcomes.

About Cleveland Peacemakers Alliance

Cleveland Peacemakers Alliance is an independent, neighborhood-based organization working to prevent violence and keep young people out of gangs. Peacemakers Alliance employs outreach workers – including some former gang members – who are credible messengers. In addition to its hospital-based intervention program, the organization provides violence-interruption and outreach services in the community and works with young people who are already involved in the court system. Cleveland Peacemakers Alliance, based at East Tech High School, is a subsidiary of Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio, which includes Clubs in Cleveland, Akron, Lorain County and Erie County.

Yes, Rockelv, 13, has always been a bright kid. But he says it was the discipline he learned at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Club’s “Power Hour” – the time members must spend on schoolwork and academic skills once they arrive at the Club – that made him an even stronger student.

“If I didn’t have that (Power Hour), I would have probably just gone home and done nothing,” he says.

The help you provided paid off. Rockelv’s scores on a national test showed he reads above high school level and is one of the top eighth-grade readers in the entire Cleveland Municipal School District. Tests also showed he knew 60 percent of the eighth-grade science material before starting eighth grade.

Rockelv, who lives in Glenville and attends Franklin D. Roosevelt Academy, has been accepted to Saint Ignatius High School. He says going there should help him prepare for college and, ultimately, medical school. Rockelv’s goal is to go to medical school and become a neurosurgeon.

“The people at the Club positioned me to be even more advanced in my academics, and I really appreciate that,” he says.

In addition to his academic pursuits, Rockelv plays Club basketball and enjoys poetry, rap and music. He has also helped create a mural with Sankofa Arts, and the piece will be installed this summer.

Approximately 400 square feet, the Michaels MAKE Space is fully stocked with all of the arts and craft supplies needed to allow BGCA club youth unleash their inner artists and express themselves. The renovation included new flooring, lighting, ceiling tiles, shelving, a portable sink and shelving. Club kids will also have new tables, chairs, computers, desks, a television, easels, a T-shirt press, supplies for the photo club and art supplies. In addition, the new space will allow for Club staff to work closely with youth on both personal art projects designed to unlock creativity through the Club’s ongoing art program, as well as community initiatives such as the murals Club youth created this past fall to hang along the Opportunity Corridor construction zone.

“The new Michaels MAKE Space will empower kids and teens at Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland to make, to think creatively, to dream in color,” said Jim Clark, president and CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of America. “Michaels commitment and dynamic approach to our mission is both exciting and inspiring. Together, we will enable all young people of Cleveland – especially those who need us most – to reach their full potential and find their path to a great future.” 

The new Michaels MAKE Space will be unveiled today with a ribbon cutting celebration with staff from the Cleveland Boys & Girls Club, club youth, Michaels representatives and local dignitaries.

The Boys & Girls Club of Cleveland first opened its doors in 1954 on Broadway Avenue in Cleveland’s Slavic Village neighborhood and aims provide children who are most in need a safe place to grow, learn and realize their full potential. With a wide range of programs, the club supports healthy lifestyles, academic success, character-building and leadership development.

To learn more about Michaels and its partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of American, please visit Michaels.com or download the Michaels app.

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About The Michaels Companies, Inc.:

The Michaels Companies, Inc. is North America’s largest specialty provider of arts, crafts, framing, floral, wall décor, and seasonal merchandise for Makers and do-it-yourself home decorators. The Company operates more than 1,200 Michaels stores in 49 states and Canada.  Additionally, the Company serves customers through a variety of digital platforms including Michaels.com, consumercrafts.com and aaronbrothers.com. The Michaels Companies, Inc., also owns Artistree, a manufacturer of high quality custom and specialty framing merchandise, and Darice, a premier wholesale distributor in the craft, gift and decor industry.  For a list of store locations or to shop online, visit www.michaels.com or download the Michaels app.

About Boys & Girls Clubs:

For more than 150 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA.org) has enabled young people most in need to achieve great futures as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Today, 4,300 Clubs serve 4 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. They provide a safe place, caring adult mentors, fun and friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Club programs promote academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles. In a Harris Survey of alumni, 54 percent said the Club saved their lives. National headquarters are located in Atlanta. Learn more at on Facebook and Twitter.

Community-based services. Positive relationships. Life-changing programs. As Canada’s largest child- and youth-serving organization, Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada provides vital programs and services to over 200,000 young people in 700 communities across Canada. During critical out-of-school hours, our Clubs help young people discover who they are, what they can do, and how they can get there. Our trained staff and volunteers give them the tools to realize positive outcomes in self-expression, academics, healthy living, physical activity, mental health, leadership, and more. Since 1900, Boys and Girls Clubs have opened their doors to children, youth, and families in small and large cities, and rural and Indigenous communities. If a young person needs it, our Clubs provide it. Learn more at bgccan.com and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @BGCCAN.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland, Erie County, Lorain County and the Western Reserve (Akron) have merged to form Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio (BGCNEO). The Clubs, which will maintain their separate organizational identities, have 36 sites between them and a total budget of about $11 million.

The merger takes effect today. It is one of the largest of its type in the country.

Ron Soeder, who has headed Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland for the past 13 years, has been named interim president and CEO of the new organization. He will remain in that role while the organization and the parent Boys & Girls Clubs of America search for a permanent leader.

The new organization will be governed by a board with representatives from all four Clubs and the local boards will shift to an advisory role primarily focused on strategy and community needs. According to Soeder, each local Club will retain its identity, and donors will be able to direct their funds to local Clubs specifically or to the region.

“This merger gives us the opportunity to serve more kids and develop deeper programming,” Soeder said. “All four of the merging Club are financially strong and well-run, and combining our forces will enable us to scale our best practices, streamline operations and be more cost-efficient – all to serve and support more kids. “

Soeder said there are no plans for layoffs and that the merger may actually help fill existing vacancies. The four merging Clubs together have 334 employees, 87 of whom are full-time workers.

New BGCNEO board officers and their Club affiliations are Rich Desich, president (Lorain County); Leslie Murray, vice president (Erie County); Mark Bachmann, secretary (Cleveland); and Derrick Ransom Jr., treasurer (Western Reserve).

“I am really proud of the tremendous effort our four organizations have put forth in becoming Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio,” Desich said. “We have a fantastic local team that really benefitted from guidance and leadership from the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. I am very excited about our vision for the future and how we as a collective team will make an even greater impact for the children of Northeast Ohio.”

Murray said, “By integrating our local Club with the other area Clubs in Northeast Ohio, we are bringing much-needed resources and opportunities to our kids.  These resources will provide a deeper and richer experience for the kids we are currently serving and will allow us to grow to serve even more kids in our community.”

“The Cleveland Clubs provide a safe place where kids can flourish,” Bachmann said. “Our 13 Clubs are saving the kids most at risk in Cleveland. This merger will allow us to serve even more kids in our neighborhood, with deeper impact.”

Ransom said, “We firmly believe this merger presents a great opportunity to expand and serve the many areas of need in greater Akron and throughout our Northeast Ohio community.”

Two BGCC subsidiaries will also join BGCNEO under the merger and retain their current board structures. They are Cleveland Peacemakers Alliance, which works to stem violence in the city, and Open Tone Music, which provides music, art, dance and theater programming.

Boys & Girls Clubs of America has been encouraging mergers throughout the country in order to boost membership, standardize programming and bolster the financial standing of individual Clubs. BGCA has committed to investing $350,000 in the Northeast Ohio merger effort.

A study of Clubs that have merged in the past five years showed those organizations saw a 21 percent increase in the number of youth served and a 29 percent increase in total revenue.

Boys & Girls Clubs provide safe, fun places for kids ages 6-18 to go after school.  The Clubs focus on academic achievement, healthy lifestyles and character development. The Clubs’ youth development professionals provide programming that includes arts, athletics and homework help.

A brief history of the Clubs

Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland: In 1954, the first Boys Club opened on Broadway Avenue in Cleveland’s Slavic Village neighborhood. It was established by a group of corporate executives from Republic Steel (now ArcelorMittal) and Cliffs Natural Resources. The second Cleveland Club opened in the Mount Pleasant Neighborhood in 1972. In 1976, the Boys Clubs of Cleveland took a step that earned it distinction as a national thought leader. It began to accept girls as members and became the Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland. This progressive step occurred a full 14 years before the national organization became the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Western Reserve: Boys & Girls Clubs of the Western Reserve has a unique place in the history of the Boys & Girls Clubs movement. The organization began in 1984 as the Boys & Girls Club of Summit County and was one of three selected urban sites participating in a national demonstration project to test the feasibility of bringing Club programs into low-income housing areas designated by Boys Clubs of America and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.  The program was a success and there are more than 400 Clubs in housing projects across the country.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Lorain County: Boys & Girls Clubs of Lorain County has been serving the community’s youth since 1999, when current Executive Director Mike Conibear transformed a small space within an Oberlin city school building into a Club for kids.  Since then, the organization has expanded to become one of the largest youth-serving agencies in the Northeast Ohio.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Erie County: In 1998, Boys & Girls Club of Erie County began as a project of Leadership Erie County, a nonprofit, service-oriented organization that prepares civic-minded individuals through training to serve their communities. The group decided that an after-school program for youth was needed in the community and began researching the Boys & Girls Club of America On July 4, 1998, the Boys & Girls Club of Erie County was established and opened its doors at the First United Congregational Church of Christ.  In 2010, the late Ruth F. Parker suggested BGCEC use her property on Cleveland Road to open a teen center; she later donated the building to the Club.

Click here for answers to frequently asked questions about the merger.

BGCNEO is the result of a merger between the Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland, Erie County (Sandusky), Lorain County and the Western Reserve (Akron). The boards of those organizations voted to merge effective July 1, 2019. In addition to the four Clubs, the new organization includes former BGCC subsidiaries Cleveland Peacemakers Alliance and Open Arts (formerly known as Open Tone Music).

What will the new organization look like?

The merging Clubs currently have a total of 36 locations in four counties: Cuyahoga, Erie, Lorain and Summit. Together, they now serve nearly 8,500 kids, employ 334 people and have a total budget of about $11 million.

Why a merger?

By merging, we believe we can generate the kind of regional support that will allow us to serve more kids with even deeper programming. Our goal is to double the number of kids we serve in the region. The merger will also enable us to scale our best practices, streamline operations and be more cost-efficient. A study of Clubs that have merged in the past five years showed those organizations saw a 21 percent increase in the number of youth served and a 29 percent increase in total revenue.

How will the merger impact the level of giving currently received by the Clubs?

The larger, united, regional presence will attract the attention of private and public companies, including the largest grant-making entities. Currently, the individual Clubs are not maximizing those opportunities.

Who will be the CEO of the new organization?

Ron Soeder has been appointed interim president and CEO. He will remain in that capacity while the organization and Boys & Girls Clubs of America conduct a search for a permanent president and CEO. Ron Soeder became president and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland 13 years ago after spending nearly three decades as a senior executive in the consumer products industry. He has forged strong partnerships with a wide range of organizations, including the Cleveland Municipal School District, neighborhood groups, local governments, companies, professional sports teams and the arts community. In 2018, he received BGCA’s highest honor, the Heart and Soul Award, for his dedication to the kids who need us most.

Will there still be a Boys & Girls Clubs of ———?

While each of the four Clubs will retain its individual identity initially, all will become known as branches of BGCNEO.

Can I target where my donation will be used?

Yes. You can place whatever restrictions or limitations you want on your donation. For example, if you specifically want your funds to serve the youth of Lorain County, BGCNEO will make sure to limit its use to that geographic area.

If I donate to BGCNEO, where will the money go and how will it be used?

General donations will be used to support BGCNEO’s mission of serving youth in the region.

What will happen to the current grants and donations that have already been received by the Clubs?

Each Club will continue to honor grant agreements and their respective reporting and renewal requirements.

Will the new organization have its own board? And what about the boards currently governing the four merging Clubs?

Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio will be governed by a board initially containing four representatives from each of the four of the merging organizations. This board will ultimately have 25 members. The existing local boards will take on an advisory, rather than a fiduciary, role. Those board members will help develop strategy, define the needs of the community and become the voice of the local market. Members will champion, invest and invite. These boards will be Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland Board of Advisors; Boys & Girls Clubs of Erie County Board of Advisors; Boys & Girls Clubs of Lorain County Board of Advisors; and Boys & Girls Clubs of the Western Reserve Board of Advisors.

What will happen with current employees?

No layoffs are anticipated as a result of the merger. The larger organizational footprint means employees will have more opportunities for promotions and/or to fill openings. Employees will continue to report to their current supervisors as Ron Soeder and the new board start developing an organizational chart.

Where will Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio be headquartered?

That has not been determined. Along with finding a new president and CEO, it is one of the issues that will be tackled by the new board.

Ashley Oliver

Bedford

Mandy English

Highland Heights 

Your dollars provide so much for youth – academic help, a hot meal daily, athletics, arts, music, career readiness and fun. But for kids like Kyla, 10, your support extends to another level.

“The Club has taught me how to be respectful, kind and a nicer person,” she says.

Kyla has thrived since joining the Broadway Club at the start of the school year. On any given day, you’ll find her in the art room (abstracts are her specialty), in the gym or just chatting with friends.

“Kyla is a burst of energy, sweet, respectful and engaging,” says Club Director Shanelle Moon. “She is always interested in being involved in club programs and events and is eager to assist program staff. Kyla is quickly establishing herself as a leader at Broadway and in a short time has developed into a model Boys & Girls Club member.”

Kyla says “most of my friends come here (to the Club), so I wanted to join.” Her grandmother was all in favor of the idea, and Kyla has been an active, enthusiastic Club member ever since.

“I love coming here – it is very fun,” she says.

And because of you, Kyla is becoming a better, more responsible person.

Hector (Javy) Vazquez literally grew up at Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland.

At age 4, he often went with his mother to the local Club, where she worked at the front desk. Those visits made an impression: As soon as he was eligible, Javy became a Club member.

“Boys & Girls Club,” he says, “was always the place I wanted to be.”

Fast forward to February 2019. Javy, now 22, used the skills and opportunities you provided him as a Club supporter to fulfill a lifelong dream: He graduated from the Cleveland Police Academy, became a patrolman in the Cleveland Police Department and is now protecting our neighborhoods.

Your support also helped Javy’s mom, Sandra Del Valle, the former front-desk worker who rose through the ranks at Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland to become area director for the West Side.

Javy was a regular at the Club, participating in everything it had to offer. He would go on to participate in basketball, cross country and football at Lincoln West High School but his favorite sport was always baseball. He was a standout player for Lincoln West and his travel teams.

After graduating from high school, he studied criminal justice at Cuyahoga Community College and worked at BGCC’s King Kennedy Club, where he was a favorite among the members. “They (kids) want to be loved, and they want to know you care about them,” he says.

Javy says his experience working with kids is already helping him in his new job as a police officer.  He says he hopes to create more opportunities for police to interact with youth in positive ways.

Your support of the Clubs has helped create success stories like Javy’s.

“The Club kept me off the street and out of trouble,” he says. “If it wasn’t for the Boys & Girls Club, I would not be where I am now.”

WATCH – Francisco Lindor in New MLB/Boys & Girls Clubs of America “Whatever It Takes” Spot:

v  English Version w/ JB Smoove Narration

v  Spanish Version w/ Mario Lopez Narration

Lindor said: “As a kid, I was fortunate to have a lot of good people around me that assisted me with my development on and off the diamond. I will never forget those who helped me and will strive to give back and provide guidance to our youth in spirit of those who helped me on my journey. Youth are our future and an organization like Boys & Girls Club only brightens that future.”

Melanie LeGrande, Vice President of Social Responsibility, Major League Baseball said: “Francisco has devoted much of his time and energy to children throughout the United States and Puerto Rico, and he is the perfect representative of our sport in this effort with our great partners at Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Like Boys & Girls Clubs, we also believe in launching great futures and supporting healthy communities, especially through baseball and softball as a tool for youth development. We are grateful for the decades-long partnership we have enjoyed with Boys & Girls Clubs, which includes local Clubs engaging and supporting two of our most prominent youth initiatives in PLAY BALL and the RBI program.” 

Lindor has been active throughout his career so far in engaging with young people. Since 2017, he has visited with kids who participate in the Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program and has hosted his own PLAY BALL event at his high school alma mater Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida. Additionally, as part of the Puerto Rico Series in April 2018, Lindor ran a special clinic for approximately 250 youth at his former grammar school, Escuela Villa Marina in Gurabo, Puerto Rico. This effort was part of the “Players Going Home” program through the MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation, which gives players the opportunity to demonstrate their gratitude and appreciation to those who have helped them along their path to Major League success – in their hometowns and/or the places they now call home. 

Smoove said: “It was an honor to be the voice of this spot – The Boys & Girls Clubs and Major League Baseball are two organizations that help bring smiles to kids and families all over the country.”

Lopez said: “So happy to support Boys & Girls Club of America and Major League Baseball, together they truly do whatever it takes to help kids have a Great Future.”

“The new spot is a grand slam and highlights how Major League Baseball and their players partner with Boys & Girls Clubs to create great futures for America’s youth. Boys & Girls Clubs of America is especially grateful to MLB, the Cleveland Indians and Francisco Lindor for their early and ongoing support of the 2019 ‘Whatever it Takes’ campaign showing the myriad of things that Clubs do to help young people succeed in life,” said Jim Clark, President& CEO of Boys & Girls Club of America.

Now in its 23^rd year as the official charity of MLB, Boys & Girls Clubs of America youth from around the country continue to play active roles in our jewel events, MLB All-Star and the World Series, in a variety of different ways. Through 2020, MLB has committed $2 million to renovating parts of one Boys & Girls Club in each MLB Club market, primarily focusing on teen center and playing fields connected to the Clubs. Boys& Girls Clubs have reached 4.7 million youth, including sites on US military bases, public housing and on Native American lands. Boys & Girls Clubs executed PLAY BALL events, including with the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the “PLAY BALL Summer” effort throughout the year, and will continue to do so through 2020. In 2018, PLAY BALL programming reached tens of thousands of participants at 205 Boys & Girls Clubs and 22 military sites across the world, which included American Samoa, England, Italy and Japan.