Seven Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County families received a $7,000 grant from the Mary Alice Fortin Foundation Inc. for the “Christmas in July” program. Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County identified the seven families in great need across the county. The foundation awarded the grants after receiving a short narrative describing each family’s plight. The unexpected money is life changing as these families will be able to use the grant to improve the lives of their children.

“Christmas in July” recipient and Club family member, Leslie Huggins was one of the families awarded the grant after her daughter, Cykera Wright, was murdered. Huggins’s 18-year-old daughter was murdered on Jan. 31, 2020. Her daughter’s killers still have not been taken into custody. Since receiving the $7,000 grant, Huggins is seeking to finalize funeral costs, pay for her daughter’s cemetery headstone and relocate to a different neighborhood for the safety of her two sons.

“I would like to thank the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County for the opportunity to share the experience of this Christmas in July grant,” said Huggins. The past few months have been very hard and dark for me, but this opportunity has brightened my life, not only for me but for my children.”

Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County was one of seven agencies in Palm Beach County selected to participate in the program since it matches Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County’s mission to make a difference in the lives of families and children in the community.

“I’m grateful that the Board of the Foundation recognizes the difficulty that many agencies have during the summer months in securing funding for their activities and continues to encourage this program,” said, Dani Moore, president of The Mary Alice Fortin Foundation, Inc. “We endeavor to make life-improving grants and believe the Boys and Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County exemplifies this concept.”