Oscar-winner Denzel Washington joined Boys & Girls Clubs of America youth singers in a rendition of “Stand By Me,” and promised to always stand by them.The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021) star has been the organizations national spokesperson for more than 25 years, after first joining his local chapter in Mount Vernon, N.Y., as a young boy.The organization held its 2022 national conference last weekend. In a speech to thousands of club staff members, Washington expressed gratitude for the way they met the challenges of the pandemic, providing essential services to help families in extraordinary circumstances.Washington was joined on stage by Brianna P., the organization’s 2021-2022 National Youth of the Year, who serves as the teen spokesperson for Club youth.The Boys & Girls Clubs of America provide millions of kids safe spaces, mentors and a variety of programs focused on academics, health and leadership. Clubs are staffed by more than 64,000 mentors, program facilitators, and other youth development professionals.Ahead of this years conference, the organization inducted seven new people into its Alumni Hall of Fame in the first in-person ceremony since before the pandemic: Retired Rear Admiral of United States Coast Guard, Erroll Brown; Major League Baseball Executive Tony Reagins; first female African American NFL officiate Maia Chaka; gold medalist wrestler Tamyra Mensah-Stock; CEO and Founder of Fintech Startup, Softgiving Matt Pfaltzgraf; ESPN Golf Analyst Michael Collins; and Super Bowl champion and Tampa Bay running back Leonard Fournette.
