Boys & Girls Clubs of Bloomington Set to Host Boys to Men

Boys & Girls Clubs of Bloomington will host “BOYS to MEN,” a fundraiser to provide crucial funding to support male-focused programming at the Club. The annual event will be held virtually on Thursday, October 22nd, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. The Ken Nunn Law Office is honored to serve as the Presenting Sponsor for this unique event.

“This is one of our marquee events each year and promises to leave our guests with a true sense of inspiration,” commented Boys & Girls Clubs of Bloomington Executive Director, Jeff Baldwin. “The importance of this event cannot be underscored enough. BOYS to MEN allows the Club to provide remarkable and necessary education and mentoring to young males. Additionally, this event gives the Club a public platform to educate the community further on the work our staff performs on a daily basis mentoring kids, especially those who need us most.”

In years past, the event included an in-depth panel discussion - which consisted of coaches, athletes or community leaders - with a spirited discussion about the importance of mentorship. This year, however, there will not be a headlining panel or speaker as Club kids will take centerstage. Guests will see the Club through the eyes of Club kids.

We operate in a whole new world, and it is only fitting that this will be a whole new event experience. Guests will hear stories from Club kids on how programming is positively shaping their lives - even in the midst of one of the hardest times we have ever faced. Guests will also see how the BOYS to MEN programming impacted the lives of kids during its first year of existence in 2019. Finally, a special virtual tour of the Lincoln Street Club will be shown so guests can gain an understanding of what Club kids see each and every day during these “new normal” times.

Additionally, the event traditionally features a catered meal. For this virtual event, in the spirit of “unity in community,” nine local restaurants have pledged to provide pick-up meal options that guests may choose from. The nine Restaurant Partners for BOYS to MEN are Aver’s Gourmet Pizza, BuffaLouie’s, Cardinal Spirits, DeAngelo’s, Grazie! Italiano, Smokin’ Jack’s Rib Shack, Underground Bakery, Upland and Wagon Wheel. Instead of restaurants donating or discounting food for BOYS to MEN like previous years, the Club is buying food from these nine Restaurant Partners to lend a helping hand during these difficult times. $20.00 of each meal ticket purchased goes to the restaurant.

The virtual hour-long event will conclude with a LIVE Fund-A-Need where guests can pledge financial support to the Club. The proceeds of BOYS to MEN go directly to funding the programmatic needs of the Boys to Men mentoring program in addition to other world-class programming opportunities available at Boys & Girls Clubs of Bloomington.

There are a variety of ticket options available:
● $40.00/Ticket | Event Link
● $50.00/Ticket | Event Link + Dinner Option
● $360.00/8-Person Watch Party | Event Link + Dinner Option for 8 People

Tickets may be purchased online at www.bgcbloomington/btm .

The Club hosted their first-ever virtual event back in June 2020, with the annual “SMART Girls, STRONG Women” fundraiser in which over $80,000 was raised. Since then, the Club has virtually hosted Lemonade Day Monroe County and the Father Daughter Dance.