Themed “Voices of Our Communities,” our 2020 Youth of the Year Gala honored 14 teen leaders who are thriving in their Clubs and communities, raised $689,193 in generous donations—and for the first time ever allowed more than 4,000 supporters to view the annual program from the comfort of their homes.
Melissa (“Nila”) S., a proud member of the A.W. “Tony” Matthews Boys & Girls Club in Mableton since the fourth grade, received BGCMA’s most prestigious award: 2020/2021 Youth of the Year. Nila represented Metro Atlanta as Youth of the Year at the statewide competition in 2021.
“My Boys & Girls Club has made me feel complete,” said Nila. “As Youth of the Year, I will continue to show that we can continue to complete the lives of youth.”
Top honors were also awarded to Youth of the Year finalists Roderick Thomas Jr. who represented Camp Kiwanis in Danielsville, and Joshua Woods who represented Jesse Draper Boys & Girls Club in College Park. Both teens received $1,500 scholarships.
What the 2020 YOY taught us about the power of connection: We can stay connected with youth and donors virtually in a meaningful way, and we plan to continue to incorporate remote options into future programming. Due to the success of the 2020 YOY, our 2021 YOY celebration on Nov. 12 will be a hybrid event, allowing sponsors and guests the option to attend in person at the Coca-Cola Roxy or tune in via the Livestream Experience. For more information on YOY and ways to give, please visit https://e.givesmart.com/events/lnb.