Boys and Girls Club of the Gulf Coast celebrates 60 years of impact
GULFPORT, Miss. (WXXV)- The Boys and Girls Clubs of the Gulf Coast is marking 60 years of changing lives and building future leaders.
The organization honored outstanding students and reflected on six decades of impact across the Coast.
Sixty years of impact and a future full of possibilities. The Boys and Girls Clubs of the Gulf Coast celebrated a major milestone with its 60th annual meeting and Youth of the Year celebration.
Six student leaders were recognized for their accomplishments with one student earning the title of 2026 Youth of the Year.
The honor spotlights the potential of young people and the importance of providing them with opportunities to grow, lead, and succeed. 2026 Youth of the Year Caedan Key said, “I feel honored to be able to win this award, I’m not going to lie I was a little surprised. My mom, soon as I walked out the door she was like go out there and win this award and that’s what I came to do today. Being able to represent my area is a great thing to me and I hope to go all the way.”
The celebration also featured keynote speaker Tony Jones, a mental heath and suicide awareness advocate who serves as vice president and chief operating officer of Superior Optical Lab. “It was a real honor to follow some of these kids and see just how talented they are, they were a hard act to follow that was for sure. Very impressive with their speeches, what they meant was very impressive. I just wanted to remind them how important mental health is just to become the best version of yourself, don’t necessarily compare yourself to anyone else in today’s society.”
