Boys and Girls Clubs record their most successful event ever

FALLBROOK – Over 200 guests attended the Boys and Girls Clubs’ Forever Young Prom Dinner and Auction Gala, Saturday, April 27, at Pala Casino Spa and Resort. The event raised over $170,000 for the children of Fallbrook.

Guests were invited to relive their favorite high school prom moments as they enjoyed spiked punch, took their traditional prom photos and crowned Steve and Karen Colburn their prom king and queen.

The highlight of the event was hearing from Linda Bailon, the club’s Youth of the Year. She spoke about how she struggled in school when her family first moved here from Mexico. Club staff helped her every day after school with her homework, and next month she will be the first member of her family to graduate from high school.

“This year we came in to the event with a smaller crowd than previous years,” Allison Barclay, CEO of the Boys and Girls Clubs of North County, said. “We needed our guests to really step up to make the event a success, and boy did they come through in a big way. They gave a record breaking $100,000 at our silent and live auctions and we couldn’t be more thrilled.”

During the evening, the club shined the spotlight on a few community partners. This year the club recognized the Kiwanis Club of Fallbrook with the “Helping Hands” award for their continued support of its events like Kids Day, Thanksgiving Feast and their donation of a library for its Ingold Unit. The club also recognized California State University San Marcos’ School of Nursing for their volunteer work with club members.

The final award of the evening, the “Champion of Youth,” is presented to an individual that has provided exceptional service to the club and is the highest honor the club can bestow on an individual. This year the award was presented to Chet Bierbrauer. He has been a board member at the club for over 10 years, is a part of its Regents Club and has been instrumental in creating the club’s strategic plan, implementing a new safety committee and ensuring the overall quality of the services the club provides to the community.

To find out more about how the Boys and Girls Club helps the children in its community, visit http://www.bgcnorthcounty.org.

Submitted by Boys & Girls Clubs of North County.