Antelope Valley Boys & Girls Club Awarded $20,000 Grant by the Panda Cares Foundation to Help Fund Academic Success
Wednesday, August 18, 2021
Antelope Valley Boys & Girls Club received the Panda Cares Academic Success grant in the amount of $20,000, for support towards our mission of enabling and enriching the lives of young people.
Through this grant, Panda Cares, the philanthropic arm of Panda Express, and Antelope Valley Boys & Girls Club will empower hundreds of local youth to excel in school, build strong character and develop leadership skills. This support will continue the implementation and enhancement of our academic success program, Project Learn.
“Panda’s partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America furthers our commitment to impact and inspire a brighter future through health and education, creating powerful learning pathways and focused care for the holistic well-being of youth nationwide,” said Dr. Peggy Cherng, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Panda Express. “This donation brings us one step closer to achieving our long-term vision of building strong communities and fostering the growth of our young leaders.”
This grants builds on Panda Cares’ mission to support children and families in the Antelope Valley community under the pillars of health and education. With a mutual commitment to helping more youth reach their full potential through learning initiatives tailored to fit the unique needs of each youth, Panda Cares’ contribution will help offer high-quality in-person and virtual learning opportunities.
“Panda Cares has been a great partner to not only the Antelope Valley Boys & Girls Club, but Boys & Girls Club of America as a whole. By investing in our kids we are helping them towards GREAT FUTURES through academic programs, in a format where they are able to succeed,” said Stacey Cantwell, Executive Director of Antelope Valley Boys & Girls Club.
About Antelope Valley Boys & Girls Club
Founded in 1991, Antelope Valley Boys & Girls Club is Antelope Valley’s largest youth-serving agency with over 3,200 registered members and 20 locations throughout the Antelope Valley. Through the dedicated of our youth development professionals and volunteers we are able to provide a safe place for youth to learn and grow with life-enhancing problems and character development experiences. Boys & Girls Clubs programming promotes academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles. Over 200,000 meals and snacks are served annually and the Club offers free and low-cost programs to the Antelope Valley community. Learn more about Antelope Valley Boys & Girls Club at www.AVBGC.org.
About Panda Express
On a mission to inspire better lives, Panda Express® is the largest Asian dining concept in the U.S. 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, including the Wok Smart® selections, is thoughtfully crafted with quality ingredients and inspired by bold Chinese flavors and culinary principles. The restaurant brand has more than 2,200 locations and has introduced American Chinese cuisine to twelve international countries.
Powered by this global family of associates, Panda Cares®, the philanthropic arm of Panda Express, has raised more than $237 million and dedicated countless volunteer hours in bettering the health and education for over 12 million youths, as well as supporting communities in need since 1999. In 2020, the organization established the Panda Cares Scholars Program to provide the necessary funding, academic support and leadership development to help high school and college students learn, lead and thrive towards a bright future. For more information, visit pandaexpress.com or pandacares.org.