Boys and Girls Club of the Peninsula raises $1.6 million

Expansions in recent years have allowed BGCP to serve greater numbers of underprivileged youth. But the organization turned down requests from 12 principals to offer services at their respective schools because of a lack of financial resources, Obiaya said while encouraging donors to invest in their programs. 

“You have the opportunity not to invest in products, but to really invest in people,” she said. “Our kids, our students, will grow up to be doctors and engineers and educators and professional athletes community leaders. They are the future generation of investors and philanthropists.” 

Just over $250,000 was committed for intensive K-five intensive academic tutoring from the event’s ‘sharks,’ four successful Silicon Valley venture capitalists. 

Tutoring services are provided free of cost to students in need, José González, BGCP vice president of Program Strategy and Staff Development, said during a mock shark-tank-style pitch, and are more integral than ever. Only 73% of BGCP third graders could count to 120 and only 41% could identify the letters and sounds of the alphabet. 

“In third grade, students should be learning fractions and should be reading books like Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” he said. “Many of our students are still grappling with kindergarten-level number and letter recognition.” 

The new tutoring program, which focuses on baseline skills like counting to 120 and recognizing and retaining the letters of the alphabet, will be rolled out to all elementary schools with a BGCP presence and serve more than 700 students, González said. 

The fundraising event also garnered $318,000 from venture capitalists for the Barry Carr Sports League, a competitive BGCP-run league for basketball, indoor soccer, volleyball and flag football meant to serve as an alternative to expensive privately-run youth sports. 

Sequoia High School student Joseph Avila used the league to learn volleyball, he said, which was a rewarding and confidence-building experience. 

“I came every day to the Boys and Girls Club, had fun, I learned a lot. I learned basic skills, volleyball,” he said. “I made the confidence to try for the boys volleyball team for Sequoia. And guess what? I made the team.” 

During his shark tank pitch, BGCP Athletic Director Chris DeTrinidad emphasized to the sharks that group sports teaches students valuable life lessons and can help develop athletic talent in an economically feasible way. 

“We want our participants to embody the self confidence to be able to play in any space,” he said. “Whether that’s right here on-stage, whether it’s in a boardroom, whether it’s in a Supreme Court, or even in the Oval Office.” 

Remaining donations came from fundraiser attendees, who watched the shark tank pitches, as well as BGCP’s variety of donors.