Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) and the Panda Cares Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Panda Express, yesterday announced the celebration of the 200th Panda Cares Center of Hope within a Boys & Girls Club, with Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County’s Marti Huizenga Club in Hollywood, Florida, serving as the milestone marker.
Since the first Panda Cares Center of Hope in a Boys & Girls Club opened its doors in 2022, hundreds of communities nationwide have gained access to enhanced academic programming through these dedicated spaces, which provide young people with homework assistance, tutoring, access to technology and other enrichment opportunities outside of school hours. Each Club personalizes its Center of Hope based on the needs of its members, with spaces ranging from reading nooks and teen centers to areas focused on technology or early childhood education, making learning engaging, joyful and accessible for every community it serves.
“Opening the 200th Panda Cares Center of Hope is an incredible milestone because it represents thousands of young people who now have access to dedicated spaces where they can receive academic support, connect with caring mentors and build the skills they need to become future-ready,” said Jim Clark, president and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of America. “We know those opportunities make a difference. Today, 81% of Club youth report earning mostly A’s and B’s in school, and 97% expect to graduate high school. This achievement reflects the extraordinary generosity of Panda Express associates, guests and Club professionals who believe in the potential of every young person.”
The new Center of Hope at the Marti Huizenga Club marks the second installation for Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County, a reflection of the partnership’s commitment to not only reaching new communities, but deepening its investment in those it already serves. Located adjacent to Hollywood Park Elementary School and Apollo Middle School, the Club’s accessibility and size make it a particularly impactful location for a Center of Hope, providing a space for over 300 young people to build the skills and confidence they need to succeed in the classroom.
“We entered into this partnership knowing the remarkable reach Boys & Girls Clubs had in communities across the country would give us the power to make an indelible impact,” said Monte Baier, senior vice president and general counsel for Panda Express. “Every dollar raised gets invested back into the local community, so the scale of this program is a testament to our customers’ and employees’ shared belief that making access to educational tools a priority for young people is how we create Great Futures nationwide.”
Panda Cares previously opened the first Center of Hope in a Boys & Girls Club in 2022 at CC’s Little Village Boys & Girls Club in Chicago, Illinois, with the 100th location following just over two years later in 2024 at Boys & Girls Clubs of Estrada Courts in Los Angeles, California. Since the beginning of the partnership in 2020, Panda Cares has committed more than $75.5 million to Boys & Girls Clubs of America, reaching over 1.7 million youth in 209 communities.
To learn more about the partnership between Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Panda Cares, visit https://www.bgca.org/about-us/our-partners/panda-cares/.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of America
For more than 160 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA.org) has provided a safe place for kids and teens to learn and grow. Clubs offer caring adult mentors, fun and friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Boys & Girls Clubs programming promotes academic success, good character and leadership, and healthy lifestyles. Nearly 5,500 Clubs serve more than 4 million young people 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. The national headquarters is located in Atlanta. Learn more about Boys & Girls Clubs of America on Facebook and LinkedIn.
About Panda Express® / Panda Cares®
On a mission to inspire better lives, Panda Express® is the largest Asian dining concept in the US. Family-owned and operated since 1983 by Co-Founders and Co-CEOs Andrew and Peggy Cherng, Panda Express is best known as a trailblazer for creating a wide variety of industry-first recipes, including its best seller the Original Orange Chicken® and award-winning Honey Walnut Shrimp, which have defined the category of authentic American Chinese cuisine. Each dish at Panda Express is thoughtfully crafted with quality ingredients and inspired by bold Chinese flavors and culinary principles. The restaurant brand has more than 2,500 locations and has introduced American Chinese cuisine to 11 international countries.
Powered by a global family of associates, Panda Cares®, Panda’s philanthropic arm, has raised more than $455 million and has dedicated countless volunteer hours in bettering the health and education for over 16 million youth, as well as supporting communities in need since 1999. In 2021, Panda Express established the Panda CommUnity Fund — a five-year, $10 million community investment and response program that supports immediate and sustainable solutions from national and local organizations to uplift diverse groups, including people of color and other marginalized communities. For more information about Panda, visit pandaexpress.com, or find us on Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok.
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