News & Highlights

On Saturday, December 14, the WBGC Cowboys held their end-of-season banquet at our Madison Avenue Community Clubhouse. The Cowboys program is about much more than football. Our players have worked hard on AND off the field. They have built a community, attended Cowboy Study Hall, and team dinners together. And they have built skills in teamwork, discipline, perseverance, goal setting, and the ability to handle success and failure. Thank you to the parents, coaches, volunteers and donors who helped to make the season such a success. Go Cowboys!

Teens and young adults explored careers in the fields of construction, architecture and engineering, met leaders from union and apprenticeship trade programs, and engaged in hands-on projects at the Construction Junction on Wednesday, November 6at the Wakeman Boys & Girls Club (WBGC) Madison Avenue Community Clubhouse. Sponsored by a collective of industry partners to mark Construction Inclusion Week, participating organizations included Bridgeport Caribe Youth Leaders, DeWalt, Gilbane Building Company, IBEW Local 468, Iron Workers 424, Kafa Group, O&G Industries and Turner Construction in addition to Wakeman Boys & Girls Club. The event was free and open to young people aged 13-25 along with family members. “The Construction Junction directly supports our goal to help young people achieve positive outcomes in Life & Workforce Readiness. We are excited to bring together industry leaders and our local youth to provide mentorship and to explore careers in these fields,” commented Sabrina E. Smeltz, Wakeman Boys & Girls Club CEO. “Turner Construction Company is committed to innovative partnerships and programs to cultivate the next generation of trades workers and industry professionals. We are facing a serious gap in skilled labor and collectively are working to create pathways for lifelong, successful careers in construction,” stated Chad McCullough, Turner Construction Company, Vice President & General Manager. Participants also learned about the ACE Mentor Program offered at the Wakeman Boys & Girls Club, designed to expose high school students to careers in architecture, construction, and engineering, including skilled trades. Mentors from ACE companies, such as Turner, work with the students to complete a culminating architectural project. Through this 15-week program, 30 teens have opportunities for summer externships and college scholarships. More information is available here.

Thank you to our heroes and sidekicks! Wakeman Boys & Girls Club (WBGC) hosted its annual Over The Edge urban rappelling event on October 26, 2024 at the M&T Bank Headquarters (850 Main Street) in Bridgeport, CT. The event featured participants rappelling down the side of the 248-foot-tall building to support WBGC in delivering programs that promote academic success, healthy lifestyles and character & leadership. To date, the event has raised over $95K for WBGC and it's not too late to give! Wakeman BGC is grateful to event sponsors, volunteers, participants and community partners for making the day a tremendous success. Check out the News 12 coverage here. Watch a video by the Fairfield Prep Media Team here. Photos Courtesy A-Frame Media.

Wakeman Boys & Girls Club (WBGC) hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the opening of the ASML STEM Lab & Makerspace at its Madison Avenue Community Clubhouse on Thursday, October 17. The new STEM Lab & Makerspace was funded by ASML, a leading supplier to the semiconductor industry. ASML, which is headquartered in the Netherlands, has a significant presence in Connecticut with more than 3,000 people employed at its R&D and manufacturing site in Wilton, Conn. The STEM Lab at WBGC was funded through a grant from ASML of $659,000, to be disbursed over three years. The Club will use the funds to equip the Lab with all necessary materials and supplies; to provide WBGC staff members with STEM-related professional development; and to send students on STEM-focused field trips. As part of the company’s support, ASML employees have committed to volunteering at the site. “Our partnership with ASML is extremely important to us and to our community,” commented Sabrina E. Smeltz, CEO of WBGC. “We know that STEM education and access to technology is crucial to ensure our young people have the tools they need for the future.” STEM programming at WBGC spans a range of disciplines, from computer science, coding and robotics to hydroponics and greenhouse gardening. Tech equipment in the Lab that students at WBGC now have access to include 3D printers, laser engraver printers, microscopes, robotics kits, drones and more. Smeltz added: “This collaboration directly supports our goal to help young people achieve positive outcomes in the areas of academic success and life and workforce readiness.” Many of ASML’s community partnerships aim to increase the STEM/technical talent pool, which society relies on to solve some of its key challenges. ASML’s commitment to being a valued partner in the communities in which it operates, specifically through education, is longstanding. In Connecticut, ASML’s support of WBGC follows the expansion of its technology education program, the ASML Junior Academy, to the United States. With partner Mad Science, the ASML Junior Academy provides free interactive technology education lessons to children ages 4 to 12 at schools in Wilton and surrounding communities. “ASML is committed to raising awareness among students of STEM-related career paths,” said Louis Lu, head of ASML’s Wilton site. “The educational and enriching programming at the ASML STEM Lab & Makerspace will give local youth access to and training on high-tech tools, and, perhaps, spark an interest that one day leads to a fulfilling career in STEM.” Photos Courtesy: Capitol Photos Interactive/Regina Madwed

In September 2024, Wakeman BGC held two Day For Kids events, in conjunction with the annual Boys & Girls Club tradition. On September 7, we collaborated with Bridgeport Caribe Youth Leaders and Southwest Community Health Center for our first annual event at 595 Madison Avenue. On September 14, our Southport Clubhouse held a successful Day For Kids event too! Check out the photos below.

Our Wakeman Boys & Girls Club tackle players (go Cowboys!) had the opportunity to participate in a very special clinic on September 10th with ex-NFL player Niko Koutouvides. The clinic was sponsored by Hudson Bay Capital and Koutouvides, who played for the Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New England Patriots. To learn more about the Wakeman Boys & Girls Club Tackle Football Program, click here.

Wakeman BGC is excited to be included in Balise Auto's Tires to Inspire campaign! For every set of four tires purchased from September 1 - October 31, 2024, Balise Auto will make a donation to Wakeman BGC. We deeply appreciate their support in helping us to build great futures! Balise Hyundai of Fairfield is located at 338 Commerce Drive. As part of the campaign, our CEO Sabrina E. Smeltz was featured in the TV commercial now on air!

In Photo Above (L to R): Stacey Cardenas, Tracy Keblish and Chad McCullough Wakeman BGC is excited to announce the appointment of three individuals to our Board of Trustees . The Board of Trustees serves as the Club’s governing entity and consists of individuals of good character who are sincerely committed to the philosophy, mission, and ideals of the organization. All corporate powers are managed by, or under the direction of, the Board of Trustees. Welcome to the following three new Trustees. We thank them for helping us to build GREAT FUTURES! Stacey Cardenas Stacey has dedicated much of her life to philanthropic efforts focused on young people and education. She currently serves as the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for Food for Neighbors and has served on the boards of the Bridgeport Rescue Mission and Dwight Elementary School PTA. She has also held leadership and volunteer roles for the Junior League of Eastern Fairfield County, National Charity League, Tomlinson Middle School PTA, Black Rock Church, and Community Bible Study. Stacey previously practiced law in Pennsylvania after receiving her JD from the University of North Carolina and worked in commercial real estate finance after receiving her BS in Finance from the University of Virginia. Tracy Keblish Tracy is an accomplished executive leader with over 18 years of client management and strategic partnership experience in the financial services industry. She is currently an Executive Director at J.P. Morgan focused on the Commercial Card payments business. Tracy currently volunteers at Operation Hope and was a founding member of SASO (Scholars and Athletes Serving Others). In addition she spent 10+ years as a USA Swim Official and a volunteer for the Westport YMCA swim team. She holds a BS in Business Administration from the University of Hartford and an MBA from New York University (Stern). Chad McCullough As VP / General Manager at Turner Construction Company, Chad provides executive-level leadership and management for Turner’s Connecticut Business Unit where he oversees sales, operations, personnel, and financial management. Chad enjoys educating young people about all the exciting opportunities the Architecture, Construction and Engineering fields offer. He is also involved in several community and professional organizations. Chad holds a BS in Civil Engineering from Cornell University and resides in Fairfield, CT with his wife and two children.

Wakeman Boys & Girls Club (WBGC) will host its annual Over The Edge urban rappelling event on October 26, 2024 at the M&T Bank Headquarters (850 Main Street) in Bridgeport, CT. The event will feature participants rappelling down the side of the 248-foot-tall building to support WBGC in delivering programs that promote academic success, healthy lifestyles and character & leadership. Participation in the event is open to the public and no rappelling experience is needed. Training will be provided the day of the event. Those under 18 must have a signed waiver from a parent or guardian to participate. Participants have historically represented different groups: youth members and their families, long-time friends and supporters, sponsors, and pure thrill seekers. It will be a fun day of cheering on participants, with food, music and more. Participants are asked to raise $1000 in advance of their rappel. Teams may also be formed to pool their raised funds and increase their impact. In the spirit of Halloween, participants can choose to wear a costume and participate in a costume contest as part of their rappelling experience. “Our goal is to raise $100,000 for Wakeman BGC’s kids,” stated Sarah Motti, Director of Development for WBGC. “We hope to see both returning and new faces out there this year. It’s a life-changing experience for our rappelers, and the funds we raise will directly support our programs,” Motti added. Wakeman Boys & Girls Club is grateful for the generous support of M&T Bank (Presenting Sponsor), EMCOR (Rising To the Challenge Sponsor) and Turner Construction (Ropes Sponsor). To learn about additional sponsorship opportunities, contact Alexis Shivers, Assistant Director of Development, at ashivers@wakemanclub.org or 203/908-3381 x201. To register for or donate to Wakeman BGC’s Over The Edge, please click here . Over The Edge is a national organization whose mission is to help other non-profit organizations host urban rappelling fundraising events.