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Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties to announce 2023 Youth of the Year at its annual Steak & Burger celebration on February 3 Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties to announce 2023 Youth of the Year at its annual Steak & Burger celebration on February 3 Contact Name: Erin Guzzo Contact Email: eguzzo@bgcsdc.org Contact Phone Number: 9418097401 SARASOTA, FL (January 31, 2023) – Six local high school students are finalists for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties 2023 Youth of the Year title. This prestigious honor will be presented to the selected candidate at the organization’s annual Steak & Burger celebration on Friday, February 3. Since 1947, Youth of the Year has been the premier recognition program of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America that fosters a new generation of leaders, fully prepared to live and lead in a diverse, global and integrated world economy. The program celebrates the extraordinary achievements of Club members across the nation. Candidates compete at the local Club, state, and regional levels before attending the national celebration. Youth who compete for these titles embody the values of leadership service, academic excellence, and healthy lifestyles. The following teens have exemplified the Boys & Girls Clubs’ mission and are proof of the impact the Clubs make in transforming lives: • Madisyn C. is a senior at Venice High School and attends the Gene Matthews Club in North Port; • Nathan W. is a senior at Pine View High School and attends the Lee Wetherington Club in Sarasota; • Rah’Nia H. is a senior at Booker High School and attends the Newtown Estates Club in Newtown; • Stephanie B. is a senior at Venice High School and attends the Robert and Joan Lee Club in Venice; • Mykayla G. is a senior at Booker High School and attends the Roy McBean Club in Newtown; • Nazariah S. is an eigth-grader at DeSoto Middle School and attends the Louis and Gloria Flanzer Club in Arcadia. The 2023 Youth of the Year will have a chance of becoming the 2023 State of Florida Youth of the Year and opportunities to win academic scholarships, speak at national conferences and meet elected officials. Since 2012, the organization has had five State of Florida Youth of the Years, two Southeast Region Youth of the Years and one National Youth of the Year. Presented by the Louis and Gloria Flanzer Philanthropic Trust, this outdoor western-themed event will kick off at 6 p.m. at the Lee Wetherington Boys & Girls Club, located at 3100 Fruitville Road in Sarasota. Guests are encouraged to dress in casual western attire. Proceeds from the event will provide Boys & Girls Club members with greater opportunities to excel in school, become leaders, live healthy lifestyles and plan for success after high school graduation. Sponsorship support will ensure our Clubs continue to provide the best services possible for local youth to achieve their full potential. Tickets are sold out but you can still support great futures by donating at bgcsdc.org/events. Additional sponsors include: Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation, Intertape Polymer Group, Caldwell Trust Company, Shumaker, Drs. Robert and Patricia Gussin, Armstrong Fleming & Moore, Inc., Mark & Kathy Morrison, Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Blistex, Ken and Patricia Freeman, Synovus, Jeff Roberti, CoolToday, Bowman, George, Scheb, Kimbrough, Koach & Chapman, P.A. Attorneys at Law, The DeLieto Team at MS&C Commercial, and Sabal Trust. For more information, visit bgcsdc.org or call 941-366-3911. ABOUT BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF SARASOTA AND DESOTO COUNTIES: Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties has been a leading youth-serving organization since 1970, and provides enriching after-school and summer programs to thousands of youth, ages 6 to 18, in Sarasota, Venice, North Port and Arcadia. The organization’s mission is to enable all young people, especially those who need services the most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. The programs are designed to empower youth to excel in school, become leaders, adopt healthy habits and create plans for success after high school graduation. For more information, visit bgcsdc.org or call 941-366-3911.