Annual Boys & Girls Clubs of America Gala with Denzel Washington and more

(Photo Credit: Sylvester White/Kingsmen Media)

For more than 75 years, millions of Boys & Girls Club youth have participated in local, state and regional Youth of the Year events. Six teens — representing Boys & Girls Clubs from each region of the United States and U.S. Military-connected Youth Centers worldwide — advance to the national stage where one outstanding young person is named Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s National Youth of the Year. The National Youth of the Year serves as a role model, leader and advocate for their generation and the more than 3 million youth served by Boys & Girls Clubs.  

Boys & Girls Clubs of America welcomed six teen finalists from Boys & Girls Clubs across the nation and overseas to its home city of Atlanta in celebration of its annual “National Youth of the Year” gala, gathering notable celebrity alumni, influencers and supporters including:

1. BGCA National Spokesperson, Denzel Washington

1. BGCA Board Member, Alex Rodriguez
2. J.B. Smoove
3. Ronnie DeVoe
4. Kofi Kingston
5. Xavier Woods
6. Cam Newton

These individuals embody Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s mission and are living proof of the impact Clubs have in providing pathways for young people to achieve great futures. Previous National Youth of the Year recipients have gone on to be successful in a variety of industries, building on the foundational skills and life-shaping experiences they received at their Boys & Girls Club.