Boys & Girls Clubs of America to Honor The Walt Disney Company® at 2011 Great Futures Gala Dinner

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) will honor The Walt Disney Company with the Champion of Youth Award at its annual Great Futures Gala, October 20, 2011, at JW Marriott Los Angeles at L.A. Live.  Extra host Mario Lopez, BGCA Fitness Ambassador and Alumni Hall of Fame member, will serve as Master of Ceremonies and BGCA National Trustees Alfred Multari, Vice President, Sales Operations and Customer Development, Nestle USA and Eric Shanks, President of FOX Sports will Co-Chair.  A highlight of the evening will be the presentation of the inaugural Nestle/Magic Johnson Entrepreneur Award by BGCA Alumni Hall of Fame member Earvin "Magic" Johnson.

The Walt Disney Company brings happiness and well-being to children and families, inspiring them to make a lasting, positive change in the world.  It's what has made the connection between The Walt Disney Company and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America so strong for more than 50 years, dating back to when Walt Disney himself became an honorary member of the BGCA Board of Directors.  Today, that commitment continues to flourish.  In 2011 alone, Disney helped raise more than $1.75 million dollars for BGCA.  Jay Rasulo, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of The Walt Disney Company will accept the Champion of Youth Award on behalf of Disney.

Magic Johnson will present this year's inaugural Nestle/Magic Johnson Entrepreneur Award to Shomari Patterson and Genesis Mena, members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme, CA.  

For more than 100 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (www.bgca.org) has enabled young people, especially those who need Clubs most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.  Today, some 4,000 Boys & Girls Clubs serve more than 4 million young people through Club membership and community outreach.  Clubs can be found throughout the country and on U.S. military installations worldwide, providing young people 6-18 years old with guidance-oriented character development programs conducted by trained, professional staff.  Key programs emphasize leadership development; education and career exploration; community service; technology training; financial literacy; health and life skills; the arts; sports, fitness and recreation; and family outreach.  For information, visit http://lagala.bgca.org.

SOURCE Boys & Girls Clubs of America