LETTER FROM THE CEO
Back-to-school season is my favorite time in our Clubs. The energy and excitement of going back to school is unparalleled. It’s a milestone to celebrate—whether it’s the first day of kindergarten, or third grade, or sixth, or ninth. That first-day energy only comes around once a year—and we are so lucky to be a part of making this milestone special for so many kids in and around Santa Monica.
Your support is integral to creating that unforgettable experience. Thank you for supporting our mission so we can give every kid the big, bright first day they deserve. Our community of partners, friends, and donors ensures that every kid can be a Club kid—regardless of their ability to pay tuition.
Out-of-school programs in this area can cost more than $14,000 per year per child. We know this is unattainable for so many families in our community. With your support, our tuition is a fraction of that cost and we can offer our services 100% tuition-free to low-income families. Together, we’re creating solutions for hardworking families here in Santa Monica.
All our kids deserve safe and enriching spaces during out-of-school time, thank you for getting involved to make them possible.
With gratitude,
Brynja Seagren
Chief Executive Officer
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
We’re ready for an awesome school year! This year—alongside our core program areas of character & leadership, workforce readiness, and healthy lifestyles—our Clubs are focusing on literacy and continuing to advance our culture of mental and physical safety. Everyone belongs at the Club! We can’t wait to share more stories from our Clubs with you throughout the year.
We spent two nights creating unforgettable memories at the YMCA’s Camp Big Bear! Club kids enjoyed nature, spent time around the campfire, swam and paddled in the lake, practiced archery, and more! We witnessed friendships form and kids grow as leaders during these fun days at camp. They embraced new experiences and tried so many things for the very first time. Watch our video to see the fun!
Thank you to all the partners who made this opportunity possible!
Our John Adams Middle School Boys & Girls Club (JAMS) and Playground Club sites collaborated to facilitate arts programming that inspires our members to get creative. Through the arts, they learn to use a variety of mediums, express themselves, decompress after the school day, and see the world like an artist. This year, we’re building even more arts activities into Playground Club and are excited to see the results.
JAMS also continued their partnership with Celebrating Voices, a program that empowers young people to explore storytelling and playwriting. During a three-week intensive workshop, Club members created original plays then saw them come to life in performances by professional actors. This experience inspired them to continue sharing their voices through the arts!
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR FAMILY ASSISTANCE FUND!
Our amazing community helped us raise $15,000 to fully fund our Family Assistance Fund and more this year! With your support, we exceeded our goal and will be able to support families and programs with these funds.
We are especially grateful to the Harding family for championing this cause to ensure our families’ basic needs are met throughout the school year. Thank you for your generous and dedicated support.
We feel so lucky to be part of this community that cares about creating opportunities for kids to thrive.
GET INVOLVED
Golf with us and help keep sports affordable for local kids!
Every year, hundreds of kids play basketball, volleyball, flag football, and more through their Club. Because of supporters like you, they don’t have to worry about buying uniforms, travel costs, or exorbitant program fees.
You and three friends can support a Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica sports team—and have fun doing it! Sign up for a foursome at our upcoming golf tournament (October 14 at Braemar Country Club) and help cover sports costs for local kids who can’t afford expensive leagues. You’ll also support countless programs for kids in the community!
September 27 is the last day to register! Visit www.smbgc.org/golf to sign up to swing your clubs for our Club sports.
Experience the LA Galaxy and support our mission!
Attend an upcoming LA Galaxy game and support Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica! Our partners at the LA Galaxy are generously donating $5 from every ticket sold through our links to us.
Enjoy a night out at the Dignity Health Sports Park for a good cause! Select dates include a Q&A with a player after the game.
Learn more and get tickets at https://www.smbgc.org/event-la-galaxy-2024/
OUR PARTNERSHIPS
The Disney Voluntears donated 213 backpacks filled with school supplies to our Clubs! They picked out supplies to put in each backpack and we distributed the backpacks and additional school supplies at three of our Clubs. Thank you, Disney!
We participated in Panda Cares Day to celebrate 25 years of philanthropy with Panda Express! A local Panda Express donated a meal for kids at our Jack and Cindy Jones Youth Center at Mar Vista Gardens Boys & Girls Club. We love Panda Cares and are grateful for their longstanding partnership in support of our kids!
We are grateful to the Ballmer Group for a significant grant in support of our mission. Their funding support is helping us reach our goal to serve more kids with impactful programming that helps them make great futures possible. It also supported a project to update the family registration process!
