Helen Washington Award Reception - Sunday, Nov. 22nd

Helen Washington Award Reception

Sunday, November 22nd @ 2:00 pm

Challengers Boys and Girls Club
5029 S. Vermont Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90037

Tickets go on sale: Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Deadline: Wednesday, November 18, 2009 at 5:00pm

* Each family is required to purchase 1 book (4) tickets at $20.00 (All children 3 and over are required to have a ticket). Additional tickets are $5.00 each

History of Helen Washington Award Reception

In the early 1990’s an Angel was sent to Challengers as a parent volunteer. This angel was known to us as Helen Elizabeth Washington. Ms. Washington won three consecutive Parent of the Year awards for her exceptional service and extraordinary leadership.

On December 8, 1995, after retiring from a 26 year career with LAUSD and at the urging of “Big Brother” Lou Dantzler, Ms. Washington began her career here at Challengers as the Volunteer Coordinator and as an Executive Board member of Challengers’ Board of Directors. As Volunteer Coordinator, Ms. Washington was responsible for selecting a parent to become Challengers Parent of the Year.

On August 29, 2001, our angel was relieved of her duties here on earth. In her honor the Parent of the Year Award was renamed “The Helen Washington Parent of the Year Award” and the reception has since been renamed “The Helen Washington Award Reception”.

Annual Holiday Toy Giveaway - Saturday, Dec. 19th

Annual Holiday Toy Giveaway

Challengers Boys and Girls Club will host its Annual Toy Giveaway
for over 500 Boys and Girls ages 6-17

Date: Saturday, December 19, 2009
Time: TBA
Place: Challengers Boys and Girls Club
5029 S. Vermont Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90037

For more information and toy donations, please contact:
Mark Dantzler 323-971-6161 x 240

(Click photo above to enlarge)

Summer Events Recap & Upcoming CBGC Events...

Hello Everyone,

There are a lot of great things happening at Challengers!

An eventful summer included a special visit from U.S Attorney General Eric Holder and exciting annual events (Pancake Breakfast, Expo Walk and Sports Day). Also, two amazing fundraising events were held in September, raising over $83,000 combined: the 3rd Annual Champions of Education Golf Tournament and the 3rd Annual J Rock Benefit Concert (to view pictures from these events, please click the links below).

3rd Annual Champions of Education Golf Invitational
3rd Annual J Rock Benefit Concert

As we approach the holiday season, we are preparing for the Helen Washington Awards Reception (Sunday, November 22nd) and our Annual Holiday Toy Giveaway (Saturday, December 19th). Please click the links below for additional details:

Helen Washington Awards Reception
Annual Holiday Toy Giveaway

We would also like to extend a very special thank you to Bank of America for awarding Challengers the “2009 Neighborhood Builder Award” and for their generous donation of $200,000.

(L to R): Angela Winston (Director of Development), Corey Dantzler (President/ CEO), Garrett Chen (Bank of America), Gina Adams (Bank of America), Fred Abdelnour (CBGC Board President), Kathleen Felesina (Board Member) and Keith Drake (Board Member/ Bank of America)

Peace & Blessings,

Corey Dantzler
President/ CEO

3rd Annual Champions of Education Golf Invitational

Join us at the 3rd Annual Champions of Education Golf Invitational presented by Ziffren, Brittenham and Yasmine and Matt Johnson.

Challengers Boys and Girls Club and the Zeta Rho Foundation will host this fundraising event to improve and increase the opportunities

for South LA teens and children so that they can reach higher levels of education and become responsible, caring, productive adults.

Lakewood Country Club

September 18, 2009

for more info visit: www.cbgcla.org

J Rock Benefit Concert

Come out and support Challengers and have some fun too! Join us at the 3rd Annual J Rock Concert presented by J Restaurant and Lounge, Saturday Sept. 19th. All proceeds will benefit Challengers Boys & Girls Club.

This year the event will honor Boxing Writers Association of America's Trainer of the Year, Freddie Roach. Performing live on stage Be Jay Groove, Biscuits and Identity Theft.

For more information call 213-746-7746 or log on to www.jloungela.com

J Restaurant & Lounge
119 S. Olive St.
Los Angeles, CA 90015

Atty. General Eric Holder Visits Challengers

On Wednesday, July 15, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder visited the Challengers Boys and Girls Club in Los Angeles for a tour of the facility, speaking on the importance of prevention programs such as those conducted by Challengers Boys & Girls Club that help young people resist alcohol, tobacco and other drug use, while encouraging meaningful relationships with positive role models.

see more photos for Atty Gen. Holder's visit >>CLICK HERE<<

Member Spotlight: Marquisha Swain

Marquisha has been a member of Challengers since she was 9 years old and has accomplished so much in 6 years. She is currently in the 10th grade at Lou Dantzler High School and has a G.P.A. of 3.9. As president of Challengers’ Keystone Club and Leaders in Training programs she coordinates fundraisers for the Keystone Club as well as organize their Feed the Homeless project where the teens get together, make sandwiches and go out to help those in need. This year has been a stellar year for Marquisha and we couldn’t be prouder.

Marquisha sits on the national Keystone Steering Committee which is a small group of teens that organize the Keystone Conference in Atlanta. She was 1of 4 teens selected nationwide to sit on a panel at the 2009 BGCA National Conference Board of Governors meeting in Atlanta where they addressed teen issues and wants. She was also 1 of 3 kids selected nationwide to sit on the Steering committee for the Euro-Keystone Conference.

Marquisha’s goal is to go to Howard University in Washington D.C. and major in communications with a minor in phycology.

“We wish you all the best life has to offer and you are proof that with hard work anything is possible,” says Nate Wilson, Unit Director. “Thank you for being such a great role model here at Challengers, you represent everything we strive for!”

Disney’s "A Christmas Carol" train tour

Special Thanks to Disney for inviting 12 of our members to Los Angeles’ historic Union Station for the official launch of Disney’s "A Christmas Carol" train tour. Robert
Zemeckis and Jim Carrey christened the engine with a bottle filled with water from
both coasts and ceremoniously donated $100,000 to the Boys and Girls Clubs of
America, and $2,500 to Challengers.

Challengers Thanks its Donors, Honors Pete Carroll

On April 15th Corey Dantzler, President and CEO of Challengers, presented Pete Carroll with the Lou Dantzler Community Hero Award, for his dedication and commitment to this community.

“This award was named after my father, Lou Dantzler, whose vision and determination to build a positive place for children of this community and give them the tools to grow into productive members of society is a testament to your being chosen as our 2009 honoree,” says Corey. “Congratulations!”

Just as Lou founded Challengers in 1968 with 12 kids in the back of his pickup truck to make a difference in the lives of the youth in this community who live in a toxic mix of poverty, gangs, failing schools and despair, Pete Carroll went that extra mile in an effort to turn the tide of violence and hopelessness by founding “A Better LA” to tackle the insidious gang problems facing this
community.

A great big thanks to Sergio Dovarro and J’s Lounge and Restaurant for donating a delicious lunch for all our donors to enjoy. Thank you to Robert Macias and Coca Cola for providing all the beverages! Special Thanks to our dedicated board member Lisa Firestone for making this event possible, we truly appreciate all your hard work.

Welcome to our new website

Welcome to our dynamic new website.

We hope you find it to be more user friendly and easy to navigate for general information, news, activities and events at Challengers Boys & Girls Club. You can browse videos and photo galleries to bring you into “Club life” and experience what we do everyday in providing health and physical recreation, personal and educational development, leadership and cultural enrichment, parent involvement, life skills training and social recreation for the youth in our community. We’ve made it easier to join Challengers as a member, become a volunteer, register for an event or donate to our programs on- line.

Remember, Challengers is your neighbor, part of the village that it takes to raise and nurture our children. Please don’t hesitate to visit us and tell your friends and family. We encourage you to get involved. Be a part of the process to motivate, educate and elevate our kids to become responsible, caring and productive adults. We look forward to hearing from you soon.


Corey Dantzler
President/CEO