More than 400 guests came out to enjoy an afternoon of networking and friendly competition at Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta (BGCMA)’s 2nd annual Topgolf Fundraiser: Driving Great Futures in support of youth workforce readiness.
Held at Topgolf Midtown on April 28, the event brought together an array of supporters, including corporate professionals, local influencers, donors, and Club alumni for an afternoon of golf tournament-style play, a silent auction, and raffles. Special guests included Marlo Hampton, philanthropist and cast member of the Real Housewives of Atlanta; Miss Georgia USA 2022 Holly Haynes, and professional women’s football player Santia Deck.
Through the help of generous donations, BGCMA raised more than $250,000 (95% of targeted goal), grossed $75,000 more than last year’s inaugural fundraiser, and sold 20 more bays than last year. It’s all an investment into the Great Futures of hundreds of kids & teens in the metro Atlanta community.
“At the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta, our mission is to ignite the unlimited potential of every young person who walks through our proverbial Blue Doors,” said BGCMA President & CEO David Jernigan. “Our workforce readiness programming allows the kids and teens across our 25+ Clubs in 11 Metro Atlanta counties to explore their passions, apply their knowledge to real-world work experiences and develop their employability skills—ultimately, empowering them to thrive in life and strengthen the futures of their communities and the world.”
Proceeds directly benefit workforce readiness, a subset of BGCMA’s College & Career Readiness program, which has long provided teens with free access to ACT/SAT preparation, workshops on resume building and interviewing, and experiences like career exploration tours, college and technical school visits, and paid summer work experiences.
“When we define workforce readiness for our teens, we use our framework of Explore, Develop and Apply, which allows them to thrive in their academic success, career exploration, and summer employment opportunities that cultivate their successful matriculation through high school and post-secondary individualized plans,” said Senior Director of College & Career Readiness Dr. Anna Jones.
The ultimate goal is to ensure metro Atlanta youth are college ready, work ready, and life ready.
The 2022 Topgolf Fundraiser: Driving Great Futures would not have been successful without the generous support of our presenting sponsor Merrill (A Bank of America Company), as well as individual and corporate sponsors. Thank you, sponsors!
Special THANK YOU to our 2022 Topgolf presenting sponsor, Merrill. Pictured above, BGCMA Board Member Jim Kauffman is joined by fellow Merrill employees at the 2nd annual Topgolf Fundraiser: Driving Great Futures event.