Guidance Aviation will be sponsoring the “Play It Forward” music festival produced by The Boys to Men Mentoring Network of North Central Arizona. The event will be taking place at Mile High Middle School, May 16th, 2015, from 1:00 pm to 10:00 pm.
The “Play it Forward” music festival is a fundraiser event featuring a multitude of bands from all over the Southwest. A major component of the festival is the mentoring of teenage boys’ musical skills by the visiting bands.
“By being a platinum sponsor of the festival, Guidance Aviation is contributing significantly to the Yavapai County community by supporting the growth of its young people,” says Board member Ray Bédard.
In the span of just a few short years the Boys to Men Mentoring Center of North Central Arizona has served over 300 boys and trained over 70 men as mentors. This group mentoring organization supports boys in their transition to becoming emotionally healthy, authentic men of service.
Charles Matheus, Executive Director, shares the results of the program. “I am privileged to see the impact Boys to Men has on our boys. Every time we meet with them they tell us they feel happier and more relaxed at the end, whether the activity is a school circle or a backpack trip. Over the weeks and months, grades improve, school drop-outs are prevented, and leadership emerges. In just a few months, many of the young men who started when I became Director will be graduating high school. I am so proud of them.”
Travis Rushing, Board President, emphasizes how important it is to sustain this work in order “to fulfill the mission of Boys to Men which is to create fundamental positive change in the lives of our boys, their families, our mentors, and our community.
Boys to Men received the ACF Community Leadership Organization of the Year award in 2013. For more information call 928-499-0522.
