By LB Indy Staff
The Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach held its annual Community Partners Breakfast on March 2 in the Canyon Branch gymnasium.
The event brought key volunteers, philanthropists, corporations and government officials together to be thanked and honored for supporting the club and its young people.
The Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach & Saddleback Branch hosted the event in-house to celebrate its 70th anniversary. The Kiwanis Club of Lake Forest, Association of Firefighters and Laguna Coffee gathered to serve their guests a pancake breakfast.
Event speakers included club alumni, Donnie Crevier, Aden Malikyar, Youth Development Professional and former Youth of the Year, and Erica Austin, a club parent. Each speaker highlighted the Boys & Girls Club’s important work with local youth.
The Boys & Girls Club also awarded key community partners, recognizing their contributions in 2022. Keith Swayne, former Board president and club alums, received the Crevier Legacy Award, recognizing a role model who embodies the Boys & Girls Club community spirit. The Corporate Partner of the Year was presented to salesforce for their volunteerism and representation of two employees, Casey Calkins and Brian Bergen, on the club’s board of directors.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Laguna Beach, was honored as Agency Partner of the Year for its continued support of the club through volunteer projects. Additionally, the Laguna Beach Unified School District’s support of the Boys & Girls Club through the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP) to assist in funding after-school opportunities for underserved young people garnered them Program Partner of the Year. LBUSD has been a partner since 1952. Phyllis Phillips was recognized with the Community Leader award for her instrumental support of the Boys & Girls Club. Phillips is a current board member.
Preschoolers, the class of 2036, performed an animated song and dance for the guests at the end of the event.