Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater New Haven (BGCGNH) proudly announces the 2025 Champions of Youth Celebration: A Tribute to Boys & Girls Clubs Alumni, an event bringing together generations of alumni, community leaders, and supporters whose lives were shaped by the Club. Held on the 9th floor of Hotel Marcel on Tuesday, December 2, from 5–7 p.m., the evening will offer sweeping views of New Haven, live music, and a powerful program centered on storytelling, connection, and community impact.
What makes this year especially meaningful is not just who will gather—but what their shared experiences represent. For more than 150 years, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater New Haven—New Haven, Ulbrich-North Haven, and Ulbrich-Wallingford—have opened their Blue Doors to thousands of young people. Inside, young people discovered confidence, belonging, and opportunity—strengths that carried them forward as educators, innovators, business owners, civil servants, artists, and community change-makers.
This year’s celebration honors those journeys by welcoming alumni back to the place where so many of them found their start. “Every time an alum walks through that door, it reminds us why this place matters,” said Daryl Jones, Board Chair of BGCGNH. “Their success stories are the true measure of our impact.”
The event will feature remarks from celebrated alumni, including:
- Dr. Sandra Bulmer, Interim President, Southern Connecticut State University
- Tharon Mayes, Former NBA Player (Philadelphia 76ers) & Coach at Career High School
- Meg Bard, Executive Director, Shine Your Light CT
The program will be led by Mistress of Ceremonies Babz Rawls Ivy, Editor-in-Chief of The Inner City News and 1L law student at Western England University School of Law.
Guests will enjoy delicious food, drinks, and live entertainment by Wayne Brown of Boogie Chillun, sponsored by Blue Plate Radio Entertainment, setting the stage for an evening dedicated to reconnection and celebration. More than a fundraising event, the Champions of Youth Celebration serves as a collective reflection on the Club’s enduring influence—and the generations of youth who found encouragement, opportunity, and direction within its walls. We will also announce the inaugural winner of a newly created award—the Ulbrich Family Legacy Alumni Award—which will honor a BGC alum who upholds the enduring legacy of leadership, service, and community inspired by the Ulbrich Family.
“This celebration isn’t about looking back—it’s about recognizing the foundation that allows our alumni to dream bigger and lead boldly,” said Tameika G. Miller, CEO of BGCGNH.
Tickets for the Champions of Youth Celebration can be purchased here.
Businesses, organizations, and individuals are invited to support the event through sponsorship opportunities, which directly fund programs, mentorship, and safe spaces for young people across Greater New Haven. For more information, contact Kimberly Williams, Director of Resource Development, at kwilliams@bgcgnh.org.