Boys & Girls Village Salutes BIC Corp.
Longtime partnership helps at-risk children in Connecticut
From its modest beginning as a work farm
for troubled boys nestled beside the sleepy
Merritt Parkway of the 1940s in Milford,
Boys & Girls Village’s main campus today is
still located near the sprawling BIC corporate and manufacturing complexes in
Shelton and Devon, CT.
Boys & Girls Village has
grown many-fold since its
founding in 1942, now
serving nearly 1,200 children annually.
The agency’s Medical
Director, Dr. Steven M.
Kant, estimates that the
Village is on pace to surpass 1,200 clients this fiscal year, ending June 30,
2009.
nel have sat on our board throughout.
In addition, BIC has donated thousands of
dollars in in-kind items like pens, razors,
clothing and prizes that have enhanced our
special events like the annual Dan &
Yolanda Adley Memorial Golf Tournament
held the first Monday of
every June.
On June 1, 2009, BIC Corp.
again will be the major
sponsor of the golf tourney,
our 34th consecutive named
in honor of our co-founders,
the Adleys, our largest
fundraiser of the year.
While it is great having BIC
as our corporate sponsor for
golf, there is so much more
Bruno Bich and Mario Guevera to the BIC story at Boys &
During this tremendous
Girls Village. In addition to
at 2005 Awards Dinner.
period of growth, there has
opening its corporate wallet
been BIC Corp. In the past 25 years since
for the benefit of at-risk children and fami1984, BIC has been the agency’s No. 1
lies, BIC also provides critical support in the
benefactor and major corporate sponsor.
area of volunteer service. BIC managers
have served on the
In those 25 years, BIC Corp.
Village’s board. Many
has donated nearly $400,000 in
BIC staff also volunteer in
cash to Boys & Girls Village.
support of our special
events, and are very genCash donations have helped the
erous personally.
Village build its student center
and gym, opened in 1991.
Retired BIC President
President Ray Winter,
During the 1990s, Boys & Girls
now residing in Florida,
Village added program offices in
served on our Board and
Waterbury and Bridgeport.
personally “adopted” the
golf tournament until his
From 2001 to 2005, BIC dollars
retirement from BIC.
and leadership helped us comWinter received a
Mary Jane Clark and Sandy
plete our successful $4.2 million Lamprey at 2008 golf tourney. Distinguished Service
capital campaign to construct
Award at our 2001
our two 16-bed residential homes in Milford,
Awards Dinner.
Safe Haven and Kids I.N.N. Both opened in
July 2004 – and BIC management personFormer BIC President Rick McEttrick
chaired both the Development Committee
and the Shelters Capital Campaign
Committee that oversaw the raising of $4.2
million in the 2000s, a project that was fully
paid off in May 2005, only nine months
after the Kids I.N.N. and Safe Haven
homes opened!
And in 2009 the partnership continues.
We could not have one of the most successful local charitable golf tournaments
without the administrative and recruitment
support of BIC employees Mary Jane Clark
and Sandy Lamprey. Darryl Arnette in marketing, Dan Ditmar in the BIC brand design
center, and so many others like BIC CEO
Mario Guevera, who has run with his son in
our Children’s Memorial 5K road race – all
are partners in our mission to help at-risk
children and their families live better lives.
We are particularly pleased to honor Darryl
Arnette, representing the BIC tradition, at
Mario Guevera and Darryl Arnette.
tonight’s dinner for Darryl’s tremendous
support and leadership on behalf of the
very good “run” for Boys & Girls Village
annual Children’s Memorial 5K Race/Walk,
and BIC. Thank you, BIC.
for which BIC is the
major sponsor. In
On behalf of everyone at Boys
October 2008, thanks
& Girls Village, we salute Darryl
to Darryl’s marketing
and BIC – and welcome Chris
skills, the race attractMills, BIC’s Senior Vice
ed nearly 300 runners
President and the head of
and netted nearly
North American operations to
$9,000 for programs
the dinner tonight!
and services, both
event records. Darryl
And to everyone here tonight,
regularly runs the race,
we truly appreciate all your
too, finishing 29th
support for our children.
overall in 2008, in a
very respectable 22
Thank you for attending Boys &
minutes, 31 seconds.
Girls Village’s 2009 Annual
That’s just over seven
Awards Dinner.
minutes per mile!
Thank you, Darryl.
Bruno Bich greets child in Safe
Haven home in December 2005.
It indeed has been a