Photo Flash: Boys & Girls Clubs Of America Names 2019 Pacific Youth Of The Year

Boys & Girls Clubs of America held the annual Pacific Youth of the Year Celebration on May 9, 2019 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. Club alumnus Mario Lopez received the prestigious Champion of Youth Award, and Sabrina McFarland from Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco, was named the 2019 Pacific Youth of the Year. Television and radio personality, Rocsi Diaz was emcee. The evening fundraiser featured vocal performances by Club members from Boys & Girls Clubs of Venice, Boys & Girls Clubs of Burbank, and a dance performance by Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Conejo Valley. John Lynch, General Manager of the San Francisco 49ers, Steve Layton, Principal and Co-Founder of LBA Realty, and Byron Roth, Chairman and CEO of ROTH Capital Partners, co-chaired the event. Celebration attendees included Lance Bass, Jake T. Austin, Anthony Lanier II, and Camila Banus.

Boys & Girls Clubs of America president & CEO Jim Clark introduced Mario Lopez, praising his legacy of support since graduating the Chula Vista Club of his childhood. A video tribute for Lopez included messages from Oscar de la Hoya, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Eva Longoria. Lopez accepted the Champion of Youth Award with pride, and acknowledged his family in the audience, including his supportive parents. Lopez credits the Boys & Girls Club for a positive safe place to go after school and keep him out of trouble. At the Club he found new opportunities and honed his passion for sports, particularly wrestling. Lopez has remained a dedicated supporter of Boys & Girls Clubs of America; fundraising, sponsoring summer camps, leading awareness campaigns, and serving as the Boys & Girls Clubs of America Alumni Ambassador of Fitness. He has expressed his support through social media here and here. Mario Lopez is the two-time Emmy-winning host of "Extra". He is also concurrently the host of the nationwide iHeartMedia radio shows "On with Mario Lopez" and "iHeartRadio's Countdown with Mario Lopez." He launched a YouTube channel called "The Lopez Family", featuring his wife Courtney, their two children and their two dogs.

Throughout the evening, the nine 2019 Pacific regional finalists, representing California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Alaska and Hawaii, each spoke of their life experiences, and the value they gained from their Boys & Girls Club. All the nominees overcame personal challenges to become outstanding representatives from their states. California's Sabrina McFarland, the 2019 Pacific Youth of the Year winner, found a safe, dependable place at her Boys & Girls Club while her community was surrounded by violence. She credits the support and stability of Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco for her confidence and drive to succeed; she is a Princeton Prize winner and will be attending Barnard College in the fall. In September, McFarland will travel to Washington D.C. to contend for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America National Youth of the Year title.

As the Pacific Youth of the Year, Sabrina McFarland will receive a $10,000 college scholarship renewable for up to four years, leading to a total of $40,000. With a 72-year history, Boys & Girls Clubs of America's premier youth leadership program Youth of the Year recognizes outstanding contributions to a member's family, school, community and Boys & Girls Club. The leadership program encourages Club members to reach their full potential by achieving academic success, leading healthy lifestyles and contributing to their communities.

The Youth of the Year recognition program is presented by Disney, who has supported BGCA for more than 50 years, empowering young people to reach their full potential and providing youth with access to the tools they need to build the great futures they imagine. Toyota, the Signature Sponsor of Youth of the Year, is dedicated to inspiring the next generations of engineers, thinkers and leaders who will help drive the American economy.

The annual Pacific Youth of the Year Celebration is made possible through the support of Diamond Sponsors Jeff & Judy Henley, as well as the many other committed partners of Boys & Girls Clubs of America, including Ernst & Young, Fox Sports, LBA Realty, ROTH Capital Partners, Oracle and Ross Stores.

Photo Credit: Linda Kasian Photography

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