Foley Celebrates Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Military-Connected Youth

Foley & Lardner continues to build a national partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) to support its national youth leadership development strategy. All the firm’s U.S. offices engage with local community Boys & Girls Clubs on programs and initiatives tailored to community needs, focusing on activating the potential of young people and fostering more inclusive and equitable futures.

As part of our partnership, Foley’s Veterans & Allies Affinity Group was honored to once again participate in BGCA’s prestigious National Military Youth of the Year (MYOY) program. It recognizes military-connected youth, ages 14 to 18, for their dedication to community service, academic achievement, strong character, leadership, and commitment to future goals.

Associate Kelvin Thomas, a veteran of the U.S. Army and Connecticut National Guard, served as a judge for the Midwest Regional MYOY event held in June in Chicago. Partner Taylor Pancake, a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, served as a member of the national judging panel. The 2024-25 National Military Youth of the Year Taylor R. was announced at the gala on August 8 in Washington, D.C.

The evening before the gala, Foley hosted a vibrant networking event in our Washington, D.C. office, bringing together the five regional MYOY 2024-25 finalists, four Youth of the Year alumni, and dozens of other attendees. This gathering included a unique career exploration opportunity for the finalists and past winners to interact with Foley Veterans & Allies Affinity Group Members Steve Chameides, Wes Martinez, Patrick McMahon, Frank Murray, and Kel Thomas.

Patrick McMahon, co-chair of the affinity group and veteran of the U.S. Air Force, delivered opening these remarks on behalf of Foley:

“We are honored to welcome these outstanding military youth in our second year of hosting this reception. Foley’s Veterans’ Affinity Group appreciates being part of the growing partnership between Foley and BGCA, and we look forward to hosting this event for many years to come.”

The evening also featured presentations from each of the five regional MYOY finalists and alumni, alongside several representatives from BGCA.

Follow the link to learn more about Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at the firm.

Disclaimer

This blog is made available by Foley & Lardner LLP (“Foley” or “the Firm”) for informational purposes only. It is not meant to convey the Firm’s legal position on behalf of any client, nor is it intended to convey specific legal advice. Any opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of Foley & Lardner LLP, its partners, or its clients. Accordingly, do not act upon this information without seeking counsel from a licensed attorney. This blog is not intended to create, and receipt of it does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. Communicating with Foley through this website by email, blog post, or otherwise, does not create an attorney-client relationship for any legal matter. Therefore, any communication or material you transmit to Foley through this blog, whether by email, blog post or any other manner, will not be treated as confidential or proprietary. The information on this blog is published “AS IS” and is not guaranteed to be complete, accurate, and or up-to-date. Foley makes no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, as to the operation or content of the site. Foley expressly disclaims all other guarantees, warranties, conditions and representations of any kind, either express or implied, whether arising under any statute, law, commercial use or otherwise, including implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title and non-infringement. In no event shall Foley or any of its partners, officers, employees, agents or affiliates be liable, directly or indirectly, under any theory of law (contract, tort, negligence or otherwise), to you or anyone else, for any claims, losses or damages, direct, indirect special, incidental, punitive or consequential, resulting from or occasioned by the creation, use of or reliance on this site (including information and other content) or any third party websites or the information, resources or material accessed through any such websites. In some jurisdictions, the contents of this blog may be considered Attorney Advertising. If applicable, please note that prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Photographs are for dramatization purposes only and may include models. Likenesses do not necessarily imply current client, partnership or employee status.