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BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF AMERICA TO HONOR BOXING CHAMPION EVANDER HOLYFIELD AT ANNUAL GREAT FUTURES GALA
Actor, Comedian and Writer JB Smoove to Host; BGCA National Spokesperson Denzel Washington will present
Los Angeles, CA (October 27, 2015) – Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) will honor 4-time World Heavyweight Boxing Champion and Boys & Girls Club alum, Evander Holyfield, with the Champion of Youth Award at their annual Great Futures Gala on November 4, 2015 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Boys & Girls Club alum, actor, comedian and writer JB Smoove, will host.
Andrew R. Tennenbaum, President of Flashpoint Entertainment and a member of BGCA’s Board of Governors and Tim Wennes, West Coast President of Union Bank and a BGCA National Trustee, will co-chair this annual event which has been held in Los Angeles for more than 25 years.
Other notable Boys & Girls Club alumni, including Olympian Jackie Joyner-Kersee and actor Martin Sensmeier, will be featured in the program as well. “It is always rewarding to see how many great success stories have sprung from the ranks of Boys & Girls Clubs of America,” said co-chair Andrew R. Tennenbaum. “This year’s Champion of Youth Award recipient is no exception. Evander Holyfield‘s success in the ring is matched only by his devotion to helping disadvantaged young people through his Holyfield Foundation.”
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BGCA National Spokesperson Denzel Washington will present the 2015 Champion of Youth Award to Evander Holyfield, the only 4-time World Heavyweight Champion. Growing up in Atlanta, he took boxing lessons as a child at a local Boys & Girls Club, participating in Golden Gloves competitions in the early 1980s. In 1984, he won a National Golden Gloves Championship and went on to receive a Bronze Medal as part of the U.S. Olympic team. Following the Olympics, Holyfield turned professional, winning the World Boxing Association (WBA) World Cruiserweight title in 1986. Training to become big enough and strong enough to compete as a heavyweight fighter, he first captured the Heavyweight Champion of the World title in 1990, defeating James “Buster” Douglas. Following his defeat to Riddick Bowe in 1992, he recaptured the title when he defeated Rowe in a 1993 rematch. After overcoming health challenges, Holyfield returned to the ring, defeating Mike Tyson in their first encounter in 1996.
Holyfield attributes much of his success to the support and encouragement he received as a child. As a way to give back to the community, he created the Holyfield Foundation. Holyfield strives to strengthen the lives of youth and their families by establishing and funding programs dedicated to their athletic, academic and spiritual development.
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About Boys & Girls Clubs of America
For more than 100 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (greatfutures.org) has enabled young people most in need to achieve great futures as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Today, more than 4,100 Clubs serve nearly 4 million young people annually through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs are located in cities, towns, public housing and on Native lands throughout the country and serve military families in BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide. They provide a safe place, caring adult mentors, fun, friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Priority programs emphasize academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles. In a Harris Survey of alumni, 54 percent said the Club saved their lives. National headquarters are located in Atlanta. Learn more at bgca.org/facebook and bgca.org/twitter.
Individual tickets, $1,000; sponsorship packages available. For more information, contact Brigitte De Kruyf at (562)490-6172 or bdekruyf@bgca.org.
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