FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 3, 2016
Media Contact: Maria Curreri
561-683-3287 / mcurreri@bgcpbc.org
Event Contact: Kristen Cummins
561-683-3287 / kcummins@bgcpbc.org
RIVIERA BEACH TEEN WINS YOUTH OF THE YEAR HONOR FOR BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF PALM BEACH COUNTY
Alexia Lyles-Murray receives highest honor for Club members and Now to Compete for State Title and Scholarship
West Palm Beach, FL (June 3, 2016) – Alexia Lyles-Murray was named the 2016-2017 Youth of the Year for Palm Beach County. Selected among several local outstanding youth, Alexia will compete against other Boys & Girls Club members for the Florida Youth of the Year title and a $5,000 college scholarship from Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA). The Youth of the Year program honors our nation’s most awe-inspiring young people on their path to great futures and encourages all kids to lead, succeed and inspire. As the new Youth of the Year Palm Beach County, 17 year old Alexia is a true example of an extraordinary young woman recognized by BGCA for her leadership, service, academic excellence and dedication to giving back to the community.
“Alexia is true example of an extraordinary young woman that has overcome adversity thanks to the support and encouragement Clubs provide to each and every member to not let adversity or your surroundings determine the person you are,” said Jaene Miranda, President & CEO of Boys & Girls clubs of Palm Beach County. An active member of the Max M. Fisher Boys & Girls Club in Riviera Beach for the past four years, Alexia embodies how you can change your life and your destiny by focusing on positive goals and outcomes. At the young age of seventeen she has faced her share of adversity in life, from being homeless to struggling with low self-esteem. But thanks to the help of her Club, she was able to not only turn her life around, but has also developed a passion for being a mentor to other youth and teach others that they too can overcome adversity by focusing on positive goals and outcomes. This dedicated, ambitious and determined young lady, highly values the importance of obtaining an education in order to succeed in life. Her dream is to someday become a Pediatrician and be able to care for sick kids. Winning the local Youth of the Year award demonstrates that she not only has the qualities to succeed in reaching her goal, but also the determination to make it happen.
Ms. Lyles-Murray accepted the honor on May 19th at the Eau Palm Beach Hotel in Manalapan, FL before an audience that included staff members, donors, corporate sponsors, alumni, and fellow local candidates. “Thanks to the mentors at my Club and the support of the staff that believed in me, I changed my life around and I am making a difference. Now I want to do the same for other children. I want them to know they too can make their dreams a reality. I want to be an advocate for high school students to get involved with the Boys & Girls Clubs and show them how they can benefit from the many opportunities available to enrich their lives and their future,’ said Alexia as she addressed the crowd of over 150 attendees and continued, ‘Knowing that I can help someone else’s life like someone helped me, makes me happy. I know I can’t help everyone but I know I can help some and that is worth it to me.”
Other outstanding teen nominees considered for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County award included Club winners Victoria McPherson of the Boys & Girls Club of Boca Raton, Je’Cynthia Nonar of the Belle Glade Teen Center, Latecia Deveaux of the Florence DeGeorge Boys & Girls Club in West Palm Beach, Layal Al-Amari of the Neil S. Hirsch Family Boys & Girls Club in Wellington, Karah Pierre of the Naoma Donnelley Haggin Boys & Girls Club of Delray Beach, and Nicholas Polycarpe of the Marjorie S. Fisher Boys & Girls Club in West Palm Beach.
Local sponsors of the event include Publix Supermarkets Charities, Raul Ocampo & Associates LLC., Julie and Peter Cummings, Marjorie S. Fisher, Gehring Group, All County Paving, The Del Rio Group, Excel Palm Beach, McDonald’s, Merrill Lynch, and Floridian Community Bank.
If Alexia wins at the state competition, she will compete for the title of Regional Youth of the Year and an additional $10,000 college scholarship, renewable for four years up to $40,000. Five regional winners will advance to Washington, D.C., in September 2016, to compete for the title of BGCA’s National Youth of the Year. The National Youth of the Year will receive an additional scholarship of $25,000, renewable each year up to $100,000 and will have the opportunity to meet with the President of the United States in the White House.
For more information about the Youth of the Year program, visit https://www.youthoftheyear.org
About the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County
Founded in 1971, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County is a not-for profit youth development organization dedicated to promoting the educational, vocational, health leadership and character of boys and girls in a safe, nurturing environment. The Clubs provide more than a safe, fun and constructive alternative to being home alone – they offer a variety of award-winning developmental programs to help youth build skills, self-esteem and values during critical periods of growth. The thirteen Boys & Girls Clubs throughout Palm Beach County serve more than 8,000 children ages 6-18. For more information, please visit www.bgcpbc.org or call 561-683-3287. You can also follow Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County on social media platforms, including Twitter and Facebook.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of America
For more than 100 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (https://www.GreatFutures.org) has enabled young people most in need to achieve great futures as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Today, more than 4,100 Clubs serve nearly 4 million young people annually through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs are located in cities, towns, public housing and on Native lands throughout the country, and serve military families in BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide. They provide a safe place, caring adult mentors, fun, friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Priority programs emphasize academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles. In a Harris Survey of alumni, 57 percent said the Club saved their lives. National headquarters are located in Atlanta. Learn more at https://www.bgca.org/facebook and https://bgca.org/twitter.
