"Given the 50 year history of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Garden Grove, we know there is a vast reservoir of alumni out there, but we haven't done a good enough job of keeping in touch with them," said Pat Halberstadt of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Garden Grove. "The Come On Home campaign will invite them back to see how far the Clubs have evolved, especially in the areas of educational enhancement and technology training. We think the alumni will be impressed."

Local Events Planned
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Garden Grove have planned several special events to celebrate National Boys & Girls Club Week, including an invitation to all alumni to visit the Club. The 3rd Annual Golf Tournament will take place on Monday, April 11, 2005. The title sponsors are Wells Fargo and Garden Grove Disposal and will feature teams from the Garden Grove Police Department, Garden Grove Fire Department, and Zlaket's Market. On Thursday, April 15th the annual ImageMaker's Photography contest will be held on Main Street at our Community Enrichment Office in the lobby. The exhibit will be open to the public during the Friday Night Cruise Car Show on April 15th.

Alumni Feel Strongly About Club's Impact
Boys & Girls Clubs decided to launch the national alumni campaign after receiving the results of a Louis Harris study, according to Dawn Miller, Chief Volunteer Officer.

"A full 80 percent of alumni said the Club taught them right from wrong, 73 percent said it had a significant impact on their school performance, and 71 percent said the Club was instrumental in their career development," said Miller. "However, the most compelling response was the 52 percent of alumni who said, 'participating in the Club really saved my life.' That is powerful testimony. We knew it was time to get serious about reconnecting with our former members."

Boys & Girls Clubs with active alumni associations have found that former members often become the most spirited staff members, volunteers and supporters.

"With the tremendous growth in the number of Clubs and youth in the last several years, we really need our alumni to step up and become involved," said Roxanne Spillett, president of Boys & Girls Clubs of America. "The Come On Home campaign is designed to find more committed, motivated board and staff volunteers to help Clubs continue expanding services to more young people and communities."

Club alumni can "Come On Home" and register to receive a free alumni kit and membership card in three ways: by visiting a local Boys & Girls Club; visiting the national B&GCA website at http://comeonhome.bgca.org/; or by calling 1-800-854-CLUB. The kit includes discounts from Club sponsors such as AAA, Hertz and Moneygram, and other memorabilia and information for alumni.

For more information about how you can support the Boys & Girls Clubs of Garden Grove or for general information, please call (714) 530-0430 or visit our website at www.bgcgg.org.