TAMPA - It's the last day of school and a thunderstorm brews nearby as 11-year-old Jessica Sabogal sums up why she likes the Jackson Springs Recreation Center. "It feels safe," said the soon-to-be sixth-grader, who participates in the center's free after-school program while under the watchful eye of Hillsborough County employees. But Jessica's parents may have to pay for that care this fall if Hillsborough County commissioners decide to levy a fee to help offset a shrinking county budget. ...more

June 10, 2008

SEBRING — Twenty two balloons went up, up and away last Saturday, and in turn, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Highlands County was able to pull down more than $7,000. Fifty riders paid for the privilege to ride with balloonists from all over Florida. The event will benefit the general budget of the local club and help defray the cost of scholarships for many of more than 160 participants at the club's summer children's program. Pam Mooney, of Ridge Florist, and the event manager, said that the second annual balloon festival was huge or "two and a half times bigger than last year's – which attracted 14 balloons – and is only going to get bigger." More than 500 people on Friday night turned out at Saturday's launch site, at Sebring International Raceway, for "Friday Glow." ...more

June 6, 2008

It was up, up and away, this morning. At least I, and a bunch of others, including Elizabeth Stewart, hope it was an up, up and away morning. Elizabeth, you see, is celebrating her 90th birthday on June 4. Since there isn't a whole lot of things you can get for a member of the eldest set, her daughter Barbara is surprising her with a hot air balloon ride today - weather permitting. It's a first for both of them. Not only that it is also a kind of a gift package. Barbara – yes that's county commissioner Barbara Stewart – is celebrating her May 12 wedding anniversary by taking husband Fred along on the same ride. ...more

May 31, 2008

What do O'Brien's Irish Pub, Walden Lake Golf and Country Club, the Plant City Boys & Girls Club and University of South Florida football have in common? ...more

May 28, 2008

SEBRING — Ross Lewis will graduate in a few weeks, then he is headed off to Tuskegee University in Alabama to study political science, and someday become a lawyer. He's not sure where he would be without the Boys and Girls Club, though. A statewide study recently found that young people who attend Boys and Girls Clubs show higher graduation rates, greater achievement on Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, lower rates of absenteeism and lower rates of criminal offenses. Ross, who has spent his afternoons at the Boys and Girls Club in Sebring for as long as he can remember, said he thinks the study is right on the money. ...more

May 21, 2008

SEBRING – Broker Chip Boring, of RE/MAX Realty Plus of Sebring, and RE/MAX Realty Plus II of Lake Placid, will sponsor a hot air balloon to benefit the Boys and Girls Clubs of Highlands County's charity event May 30-31. Following last year's successful fundraiser, the second annual "Balloon Glow" will be Friday, May 30, and the "Lift Off Event" will be Saturday, May 31, at the entrance to the Sebring Raceway and Airport. "Young people who attend Boys and Girls Clubs in Florida show higher high school graduation rates and better behavior, resulting in increased lifetime earnings," said Florida Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp. "An investment in our children is an investment in our future. The independent study's results are proof that Florida's Boys and Girls Clubs continue to influence our young people and our economy, both for the better." ...more

May 20, 2008

AVON PARK — Wally Randall has a passion for the Boys and Girls Clubs that comes from someone who has a first-hand appreciation for its influence. When he was a teenager, Randall's single mother dropped him off at the club's summer camp every morning. "At the time, I didn't see the real impact, but now I see the path I could have gone down and where some of my friends ended up, and I really appreciate what a positive impact it had," said Randall, who is now the executive director of the Boys and Girls Clubs in Highlands County. ...more

January 25, 2008

as a teacher, administrator and ultimately superintendent - I have come to recognize what it takes for children to succeed. ...more

January 15, 2008

Whether you want to volunteer 40 hours a week or one hour a month, these agencies could use your help. ...more

December 17, 2007

Barnes & Noble has donated millions of books to organizations as part of its annual Holiday Book Drive over the past decade. ...more

December 15, 2007