South County pair among finalists for Boys & Girls Club ‘Youth of Year’

By Dale King

Alonza Lloyd, a member from the Neil S. Hirsch Family Boys & Girls Club of Wellington, was recently honored as the 2023 Palm Beach County Youth of the Year.

Seven finalists competed for the county title that provided a four-year university scholarship plus room and board from The Mary Alice Fortin Foundation.  The event was record-breaking as it raised $404,000 for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County.

Among the finalists were two from South Palm Beach County, Lynnshelsie Antoine of the Boys & Girls Club of Boca Raton and Frank Zamor of the Boys & Girls Club of Delray Beach.

Other competitors were Kelvin Rolle of the Florence De George Boys & Girls Club, Kimberly Pierre of the Marjorie S. Fisher Boys & Girls Club, Eric Wilson of the Max M. Fisher Boys & Girls Club and Jada Lovely of the Smith & Moore Family Teen Center.

Competition for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County’s 2023 Youth of the Year awards was held at the Hilton West Palm Beach. At the culmination of the event, each of the seven finalists gave a three-minute speech.

The finalists were selected to represent each of their clubs by a preliminary competition that included a comprehensive application, three essays, three letters of recommendation and an interview in front of a panel of judges made up of:

• Hollani Davis, news anchor with WPTV NBC-5
• Ed Dunn, vice president, Supply Chain, Carrier Corporation
• Geeta Loach-Jacobson, director, Outreach & Community Programming with Palm Beach County Youth Services
• Ava Parker, president of Palm Beach State College
• Glenda Sheffield, chief academic officer for the Palm Beach County School District

All finalists received a new laptop computer from Coca-Cola Beverages Florida, a new tablet from K12Print and the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation and a four-year Florida College Scholarship provided by The Mary Alice Fortin Foundation.

“It was an amazing night as these impressive youths wowed the audience with their accomplishment, poise and personal stories,” said Jaene Miranda, president & CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County. 

“All seven individuals perfectly exemplify the spirit of our clubs as their hard work and dedication to succeed is inspiring.  We look forward to hearing about their college successes and thank the community for celebrating these bright, young future stars.”

The sponsors included:

• The Mary Alice Fortin Foundation funded the Great Futures Champion
• Publix Super Markets Charities — Presenting Sponsor
• Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation — Presenting Sponsor
• K12Print — Presenting Sponsor
• Comcast — Presenting Media Sponsor
• C. Kenneth & Laura Baxter Foundation — Senior Sponsor
• Office Depot and Robert I. Goldman Foundation — Senior Sponsor
• Olympia & Brooks Bishop — Junior Sponsor
• Carrier Corporation — Junior Sponsor
• Wilder & Jason Regalbuto- Junior Sponsor

Founded in 1971, 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 20 Boys & Girls Clubs throughout Palm Beach County serve more than 10,000 children ages 6-18. For more information, visit www.bgcpbc.org or call 561-683-3287.