The arts and crafts specialty retailer commits to making great futures by providing spaces, supplies, and skills needed to shape innovative leaders
IRVING, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Michaels Companies, Inc. (NASDAQ: MIK) today announced a new three-year partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Boys & Girls Clubs of Canada. With the newly-minted Making Great Futures program, Michaels is dedicated to inspiring change within the Clubs’ creative arts programming by renovating select art spaces, sharing educational tools and resources, and facilitating team member engagement opportunities, as well as serving as the organizations preferred arts and crafts provider.
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Boys and Girls Club Youth Making Slime (Photo: Business Wire)
“The extraordinary mission of the Boys & Girls Clubs deserves tremendous support,” said Chuck Rubin, Chairman and CEO of The Michaels Companies. “At Michaels, inspiring creativity and making it easy for kids and teens to fuel their imaginations is the cornerstone of our business. It is our hope that the Making Great Futures program will help nourish critical youth development and provide an opportunity for Club members to confidently explore and discover their creative voices to positively and significantly impact their lives.”
“Our partnership with Michaels will empower kids and teens at Boys & Girls Clubs across the country to make, to think creatively, to dream in color,” said Jim Clark, president and CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of America. “Michaels commitment and dynamic approach to our mission is both exciting and inspiring. Together, we will enable all young people – especially those who need us most – to reach their full potential and find their path to a great future.”
“We are thrilled to partner with Michaels to inspire creativity and make art even more accessible at Clubs across Canada,” said Owen Charters, President & CEO of Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada. “With Michaels stores in every province in Canada, and team members ready to volunteer their time and energy, we know this collaboration will help kids unlock their potential for self-expression and imagination.”
Arts programming and education have a significant impact on a child’s development, in addition to increasing their interest in arts-related fields of study and work. To encourage Club members’ creative growth, Michaels and Boys & Girls Clubs are providing kids and teens with access to the tools to pursue creative thinking and the ability to make without limits, with a goal of improving all-around engagement and achievement. To help Club members and staff expand their boundaries, Michaels will transform select Club art spaces into ultimate craft rooms, complete with all the supplies—from paint and paper to easels, and everything in-between—needed for social and emotional creative expression. Michaels will also work with Boys & Girls Club teams annually to ensure that youth development professionals are armed with a robust, celebratory and comprehensive approach to training and development to further cultivate optimism, originality and, most importantly, the confidence to bring kids’ and teens’ visions to life.
To celebrate the launch of this partnership, Michaels is hosting a two week in-store activation designed to engage shoppers in supporting Boys and Girls Clubs. Starting February 24th, for every Kids’ art, craft, and science kit purchased in store, across the US and Canada, Michaels will donate $1, up to $50,000, to support Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada.
To learn more about Michaels and the Boys & Girls Clubs partnership, visit https://investors.michaels.com/giving-back.
About The Michaels Companies, Inc.:
The Michaels Companies, Inc. is North America's largest specialty provider of arts, crafts, framing, floral, wall décor, and seasonal merchandise for Makers and do-it-yourself home decorators. The Company operates more than 1,200 stores in 49 states and Canada under the brand Michaels and serves customers through Michaels.com, consumercrafts.com and aaronbrothers.com. The Michaels Companies, Inc., also owns Artistree, a manufacturer of high quality custom and specialty framing merchandise, and Darice, a premier wholesale distributor in the craft, gift and decor industry. For a list of store locations or to shop online, visit www.michaels.com or download the Michaels app.
About Boys & Girls Clubs:
For more than 150 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA.org) has enabled young people most in need to achieve great futures as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Today, 4,300 Clubs serve 4 million young people through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs are located in cities, towns, public housing and on Native lands throughout the country, and serve military families in BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide. They provide a safe place, caring adult mentors, fun and friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Club programs promote academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles. In a Harris Survey of alumni, 54 percent said the Club saved their lives. National headquarters are located in Atlanta. Learn more at on Facebook and Twitter.
Community-based services. Positive relationships. Life-changing programs. As Canada’s largest child- and youth-serving organization, Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada provides vital programs and services to over 200,000 young people in 700 communities across Canada. During critical out-of-school hours, our Clubs help young people discover who they are, what they can do, and how they can get there. Our trained staff and volunteers give them the tools to realize positive outcomes in self-expression, academics, healthy living, physical activity, mental health, leadership, and more. Since 1900, Boys and Girls Clubs have opened their doors to children, youth, and families in small and large cities, and rural and Indigenous communities. If a young person needs it, our Clubs provide it. Learn more at bgccan.com and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @BGCCAN.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190220005305/en/
The Michaels Companies
Mallory Smith
Mallory.smith@michaels.com
972-409-5244
Boys & Girls Clubs of America
Ashley Keyes
akeyes@bgca.org
404-487-5466
BGC of Canada
Jared Morrow
jmorrow@bgccan.com
905-477-7272
x202
Source: The Michaels Companies, Inc.
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