Wakeman Boys & Girls Club Raises $55K at Dave Checketts Celebrity Breakfast

Wakeman Boys & Girls Club’s Celebrity Breakfast Fundraiser, featuring sports executive Dave Checketts, took place on October 30 and raised more than $55,000 for Wakeman programs, making it the most successful Celebrity Breakfast in Wakeman history.

More than 200 guests were in attendance to hear Checketts speak about his storied career in the sports industry. Armen Keteyian, an Emmy-winning news correspondent, author, and host of 60 Minutes Sports on Showtime, also joined Checketts on stage for a question and answer session. Matt Storch, chef and co-owner of Match in South Norwalk and The Chelsea in Fairfield created the morning’s menu. The event was sponsored by Safety Marking, Inc.

“This year’s Breakfast was a rousing success and we are very grateful to all who participated,” said Wakeman’s Executive Director Dave Blagys. “A special thanks to Armen Keteyian and Dave Checketts and to the members of our Breakfast Committee: Sean Sullivan, John Brohel, Bob Duran, Paul Halas, Ty Curran and Brad Orben. Their collective efforts will go a long way in helping us to increase our ability to provide constructive after-school opportunities to thousands of area youngsters.”

The Celebrity Breakfast is one of four fundraisers on Wakeman’s special events calendar. Other fundraisers include Freezin’ for a Reason on December 7, the Spring Auction on March 14, 2015, and the Corporate Golf Outing on June 1, 2015.

Wakeman Boys & Girls Club marked its 100th year of service to the community in 2013. The organization currently serves 4,200 members from Fairfield, Bridgeport and neighboring towns. The Southport Clubhouse offers more than 100 athletic, educational, and service programs annually. The Smilow-Burroughs Clubhouse, which opened in June 2011 in the West End of Bridgeport, serves more than 500 children in grades 3-12 with programs designed to support their academics and provide recreational, cultural and leadership opportunities. The McKinley School Outreach Extension is in its tenth year of providing an award-winning mentoring program for McKinley students. For more information about Wakeman Boys & Girls Club, visit www.wakemanclub.org.

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