Recently, the Boys & Girls Club of Miami-Dade held their “10^th Annual Wild About Kids” auction gala at the luxurious Ritz-Carlton resort in Key Biscayne, FL. It was a lavish event and for a tremendous cause. The Boys & Girls’ mission is to enable young people to reach their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens; fundraising events, such as the gala, enable them to continue this mission. 

Proceeds from the gala will go to fund the Boys & Girls’ many programs such as their after-school program for children ages 5 to 16. This program, offered year-round, six days a week, consists of homework assistance, music instruction, dance classes, arts & crafts and so much more. It also helps to keep kids out of trouble by having them engaged in enriching activities and off the streets. Statistics show that 60% of all youth crimes are committed between 2 and 6 p.m.

“Our job is to provide an opportunity for kids to thrive in a productive environment and be off the streets,” said Boys & Girls Club President of Miami-Dade, Alex Rodriguez-Roig. Our annual gala is important because it provides the funds necessary for our programs to operate and enables us to hire qualified professionals and mentors to be with the kids everyday.” 

The organization also offers Spring Break Camp, designed to provide children with enriching activities for learning and growth,  as well as Summer Camp; eight full weeks of fun-filled, knowledgeable activities such as arts & crafts, physical fitness, game rooms, literacy classes and multiple educational field trips. 

Currently, Boys & Girls Club of Miami-Dade facilities are solely located in Gwen Cherry, Hank Kline, Kendall, Northwest and South Beach areas of Miami-Dade County, but this may soon broaden. 

“Parents are always looking for a qualified and affordable place for their kids to be safe and to learn and enhance necessary skills. Over the next five or 10 years, I envision the Boys & Girls Club of Miami-Dade continuing to serve kids in our existing communities but also expanding to others as well,” said Rodriguez-Roig.

Click here to learn more about the Boys & Girls Club and how to get involved through volunteering, sponsoring or donating. Whether a parent or not, there is no doubt that as our future, children must be taken care of and nurtured in order to become caring and responsible citizens.