When Pat Blackburn took a club tour of The Boys & Girls Club five years ago, she was immediately impressed with the value of mentorship and immediately got involved with the BGCGW.
Blackburn, President, Director and Principal Broker at Virginia-based real estate firm, Gates Hudson, got her start from people who also believed in nurturing young talent. “I had the good fortune to work for a real estate family part time, leasing apartments at a very young age while going to school,” she recalled.
Blackburn volunteered to chair the 2022 BlueFest fundraiser which is coupled with an open house, an auction and a talent showcase. Proceeds from the event support BGCGW programming. BGCGW provides after school and summer programming centered around education and career development, character and leadership development, health and life skills, the arts, and sports, fitness and recreation.
On June 9th 2022, BGCGW opened its doors and takes supporters, contributors and community friends behind the scenes of the magic that produces promising young scientists, athletes and artists.
“There is nothing you can’t accomplish when you have the desire—work hard, stay focused; be willing to learn, grow and change. And when you succeed, never forget where you came from and all the people that helped you along the way,” said Blackburn.
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Dear BGCGW Family,
What a shining 5th Annual BlueFest celebration at our beloved FBR Club@THEARC last night! (don’t miss some of our favorite photos below!)
We cannot thank you enough for a spectacular evening. From The Lion King Kids performance, to our Youth of the Year Ambassadors’ stories, to the incredible energy in the room, we feel a sense of pride and inspiration and hope you do too.
It was amazing to see a sold-out room of smiling faces celebrating and supporting the heart of BGCGW’s mission — our Club Kids. Through your sponsorship support, donations and auction participation, we were able to net over $811,000!!!
A special thank you to event sponsors, committee members, the BGCGW team and especially our 2022 Chair, Pat Blackburn, President of Gates Hudson. Our 5th Annual BlueFest, and first in-person event in over two years, was a huge success!
We truly appreciate your unwavering support. We could not continue to do any of our amazing work without you!!
Reflect, enjoy and THANK YOU for your ongoing support of our mission, and most importantly, our Club kids.
For our kids!
Gabrielle Kimberly
Gabrielle Webster Kimberly Lane
President & CEO Chief Development Officer
had a wonderful time. thanks for organizing such a great event bgcgw