Community leaders, supporters and guests gather at Spaggi’s Event Center for the masquerade-themed Mayor’s Great Futures Gala benefiting the Boys & Girls Club of Fontana and Bloomington. The annual celebration honored the late Ray and Jeanette Allen for their contributions to the organization and the Fontana community. / IVN Photo by Aldon Stiles

The proceeds from the Mayor’s Great Futures Gala will help the Boys & Girls Club of Fontana and Bloomington provide holiday gifts and activities for more than 300 local children, the club’s chief executive said at the Oct. 24 event.

The annual fundraiser, held at Spaggi’s Event Center, brought together city and county officials, club supporters and families.

The masquerade themed gala also recognized the late Ray and Jeanette Allen for their support of the club and the Fontana community, Mayor Acquanetta Warren said.

“This is an important event of the year because this is where we thank the sponsors,” Warren said. “The sponsors are the people that we’re honoring tonight that have helped us this year.”

Terrie Schneider, the club’s CEO, said proceeds would help fund a Christmas celebration for children and families.

The club plans to provide children with backpacks of supplies and two to three gifts, along with a breakfast with Santa and a holiday carnival, she said.

“I don’t think a lot of people realize that for many of our kids and our families that this may be the only gift that they get,” Schneider said.

At the carnival, children can play games and choose prizes that include toys, shoes and jackets. Some children select items for siblings, even when the prizes are not their own size, Schneider said.

“When you ask them, ‘Why did you get that?’ ‘It’s not your size,’” she said. “‘My little sister needs that.’”

Schneider said families often face the strain of parents working multiple jobs to cover basic expenses.

The club’s holiday program, she said, is one way the organization and its supporters try to offer added help.

The gala has been held for more than 16 years, Schneider said. It began as the Mayor’s Gala under a previous mayor and continued under Warren.

An assortment of donated gifts and raffle prizes lines the display tables during the Mayor’s Great Futures Gala on Oct. 24 at Spaggi’s Event Center in Fontana. Proceeds from the annual fundraiser will help the Boys & Girls Club of Fontana and Bloomington provide holiday gifts and activities for more than 300 local children. / IVN Photo by Aldon Stiles

Warren recalled that earlier galas were held at the club, the library and the Jesse Turner Center. She said the event was reworked to keep costs down and direct more of the proceeds to the organization.

“The biggest amount we make is off the rafters,” Warren said, describing the support and donations the event brings in.

The club’s programs extend beyond academic assistance, Schneider said. A youth DJ program called All Hands on Deck teaches participants to use DJ equipment while building communication, music appreciation and entrepreneurship skills.

She said the curriculum also incorporates reading, writing and math.

“It’s just not about homework assistance,” Schneider said. “It’s about giving them true life skills that they need to become the really wonderful, great human beings that they’re going to be.”

The club’s website describes programs in academic success, healthy lifestyles, character and leadership, arts and creativity and teen development.

Its listed Fontana and Bloomington locations include Almeria Middle School, Southridge Middle School, Dolores Huerta International Academy and Bloomington Grove.

Warren said she has seen several generations of families maintain ties to the club. Her daughter’s first job was at the Boys & Girls Club, she said, and her grandchildren now attend.

“We’ve got kids in there now that are grown,” Warren said. “It’s just, we got generations in here.”

She said the club’s work also includes keeping children safe, making holidays special and preparing them for the future.

Warren praised Schneider and the staff, noting that some employees once attended the club themselves.

Schneider said the organization began with 25 children in a one-room building and has grown to serve more than 1,000 children a day across its sites, according to her account.

Many staff members, she said, began as club participants.

“It’s not about a one-hit wonder,” Schneider said. “It’s about how we want to make an impact in the lives of these children and we want to make sure that we’re giving them the tools.”

In remarks at the gala, San Bernardino County Supervisor Jesse Armendarez also urged attendees to support the club’s work.

He praised the people who contribute time and money and highlighted the role of staff in serving children.

“We can never forget that they were a vital part of this community,” he said

The event’s recognition of Ray and Jeanette Allen was personal for Warren. Ray served on the club’s board and, she said, was deeply involved in the community.

Jeanette served on Fontana’s planning commission and encouraged Warren to become more active in local affairs.

“She was my neighbor before they got married,” Warren said. “Jeanette actually encouraged me to get more involved in Fontana, so I love her for that.”

Schneider said the club aims to instill belonging, confidence and a commitment to giving back.

“We need to give back,” Schneider said. “Let’s make sure that we’re always treating people with kindness, respect and dignity.”