OTHER WHEN WE’RE NOT DEALING WITH STORMS. THIS IS A GOOD TIME FOR US TO BE TOGETHER.
YOU GUYS ARE FUN, BUT CHECK
OUT THE GOOD FOR ANYBODY WHO’S
INTERESTED?
>> SO THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB
HAS LONG BEEN KNOWN AS A
PLACE. KIDS WHO CAN’T AFFORD
CERTAIN EXPERIENCES CAN LEARN
AND GROW. AND WHEN IT CAME
TIME TO BUILD ANOTHER ONE IN
CENTRAL FLORIDA ADVOCATES FOR
PREDOMINANTLY BLACK
NEIGHBORHOOD NEAR CAMPING
WORLD STADIUM KNEW THERE WERE
KIDS IN THE AREA WHO COULD
REALLY USE IT. AND WHAT THEY
DIDN’T KNOW WAS HOW A
MULTIMILLION DOLLAR FACILITY
WITH EVEN GOING TO GET BUILT.
SO AS NEWS SIX’S, GINGER
GADSEN TELLS US THAT’S WHEN A
CENTRAL FLORIDA COUPLE STEPPED
IN TO GET RESULTS.
♪
>> ON ANY GIVEN AFTERNOON.
>> BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB ON THE
WEST SIDE OF ORLANDO.
>> YOU CAN HAHA.
>> DANCING. I THEY FIND TO
MAKE THEIR MUSICAL A LOT
HAPPENS INSIDE THIS ALL OF
BECAUSE OF THE NAMES ON THE
OUTSIDE.
>> JACQUELINE BRADLEY IN
CLARENCE OTIS.
>> WE WANTED TO DO SOMETHING
SIGNIFICANT PHILANTHROPIST WHO
RARELY TALK ABOUT THEIR
GIVING.
>> THEY DONATED THE INITIAL
4 MILLION DOLLARS TO GET THE
9 MILLION DOLLAR PROJECT OFF
THE GROUND IN THIS
HISTORICALLY BLACK
NEIGHBORHOOD. AND WE THOUGHT.
>> THIS IS THE PERFECT PLACE
BECAUSE WON ITS LOCATION.
WE’RE VERY CLOSE TO JONES HIGH
SCHOOL OR CLOSE TO ORANGE
ELEMENTARY AND THE STUDENTS
CAN JUST WALK HERE WITH WITH
GREAT EASE. THIS WAS THE RIGHT
KIND OF FACILITY TO REALLY
INVEST IN THE KIDS.
>> AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAD
THE RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED
TO THRIVE. AND THEY HAVE BIG
ASPIRATIONS AND CHEESE. GOES
CLARENCE OTIS HAD DREAMS OF
HIS OWN.
>> HE GREW UP IN WATT SOUTH
CENTRAL LOS ANGELES. HE
DESCRIBES IT AS A PLACE THAT
WAS UNDER RESOURCED.
>> BUT HE SAYS THE AREA DID
HAVE A LOT OF ASSETS. I GREW
UP IN A COMMUNITY I WOULD NOT
HAVE GOTTEN OUT AND THRIVE
WITHOUT PEOPLE INVESTING IN
ME. RIGHT. AND I CAME FROM A
FUNCTIONAL FAMILY, HIGHLY
FUNCTIONAL. SO WHEN IT WAS
TIME FOR WEST LAKES TO BUILD
THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB TO
INVEST IN THE KIDS IN THIS
COMMUNITY, NONPROFIT LIFT
ORLANDO SAYS THEY NEEDED
SOMEONE TO FILL A BIG FUNDING
GAP AND THEN STEPS UP.
CLARENCE AND JACKIE.
>> YOU KNOW, WITH BIG HEARTS
AND BIG POCKETS AND SAID,
LOOK, WE WANT TO BE A PART OF
THIS AND IT’S MORE THAN JUST
GIVING MONEY. WE WANT TO BE A
PART OF IT. THEY’VE BEEN PART
THAT THEIR HEART AND SOUL INTO
THIS PROJECT AND WE OFTEN TALK
ABOUT THIS IS JACKIE’S PLACE.
WHAT WONDERFUL ABOUT THE TEEN
CENTER WHICH WILL SEE IN A
MINUTE IS THEY’RE ALL THESE
GREAT OPEN SPACES FOR THE
JACKIE BRADLEY’S VISION FOR
THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB CAME
TO LIGHT THE SHE PLAYED A BIG
ROLE IN JUST ABOUT EVERY
ASPECT OF DESIGNING IT. THE
30,000 SQUARE-FOOT FACILITY
HAS ROOM FOR 250 KIDS.
>> IT IS THE LARGEST IN
CENTRAL FLORIDA. IT WASN’T
THEIR INTENTION TO BUILD THE
LARGEST JACKIE BRADLEY WHO
COMES FROM A FAMILY OF
EDUCATORS. HER MOM WITH A
FIRST GRADE TEACHER AND HER
DAD WAS A JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
PRINCIPAL. SHE SIMPLY ONE OF
THE WESLEY KIDS?
>> TO HAVE OPPORTUNITIES THAT
MIGHT OTHERWISE PASS THEM BY.
AND SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE CREATED A.
>> A SITUATION WHERE
IRRESPECTIVE OF YOUR ECONOMIC
BACKGROUND, YOU’RE GOING TO
HAVE A FIRST-CLASS EXPERIENCE.
THE GREAT THING ABOUT IT IS
YOU HAVE THE GYM. BUT YOU ALSO
HAVE THEATER.
>> SPACE, RIGHT? THERE’S
CLAIRE. AND SO DOES THE
RETIRED DARDEN RESTAURANTS,
CEO SAYS HELPING THESE KIDS
BUT BUILD THEIR POTENTIAL TO
SATISFY? WELL, I JUST THINK
ABOUT WHAT THEY ARE GOING TO
>> PARENTS
>> AND COMMUNITY AND HOW
IMPORTANT THAT IS AND HOW.
>> FOR SOME OF THEM THAT MIGHT
NOT BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT THESE
KIND OF EXPERIENCES.
>> CANDACE: AND LIFT ORLANDO
TELLS GINGER THAT JACK IN
CLEARANCE DID MORE THAN JUST
DONATE. THEY ALSO LED THE
FUNDRAISING EFFORTS FOR THE
ADDITIONAL MONEY NEEDED TO
COMPLETE THE CLUB. YOU CAN
HEAR THE PASSION WHEN THEY’RE
TALKING ABOUT IT. JACKIE’S,
THEY’RE OFTEN VISITING WITH
THE KIDS AND EVEN TUTORING
THEM AFTER SCHOOL. THEY SAY IF
YOU’VE BEEN BLESSED WITH
RESOURCES, IT’S NECESSARY FOR
THOSE WHO HAVE THE RESOURCES
TO GIVE BACK. AND WE HEAR THAT
TIME AND TIME AGAIN HERE IN
CENTRAL FLORIDA WHEN YOU KNOW
YOU’RE BLAST. GIVE THOSE
BLESSINGS TO IT’S BEAUTIFUL TO
SEE ALL THE WORK THAT THEY’VE
DONE. I LOVE THE WAY GINGER
WROTE THAT 2 WINS AND IT’S ALL
THE BEAUTY ON THE INSIDE IS
BECAUSE OF THE NAMES ON THE
OUTSIDE. I LOVE THAT. YEAH.
AND IT’S JUST AMAZING WHEN HE
THEY SAY DON’T LOOK AT THESE
KIDS AND LOOK AT WHAT THEY’RE
GOING TO BECOME. JUST DON’T
LOOK AT THEM AS KIDS. RIGHT
NOW, LOOK AT THE, YOU KNOW,
THE THE MOMS AND THEY’RE