On Dec. 14, DPR Construction teamed up with the John Avery Boys & Girls Club of Durham (JABGC) to co-host the organization’s board of directors, club members and their families, and volunteers for a “Christmas Party with a Twist.” The event provided the DPR Foundation, which supports youth organizations around the country, with the opportunity to present JABGC with a 2012 grant of $60,000. An additional $10,000 in discretionary funds are available to be disbursed to JABGC by the Foundation in 2013.

DPR’s Mindy Gray, who sits on the JABGC board of directors, attended the event, which featured Santa Claus providing bicycles and other gifts to underprivileged children. The club, according to Gray, is the only one of its kind serving Durham County’s 31,000 school-aged children, of which 60 percent live at or below the poverty level. “The need to support the John Avery Boys & Girls Club is great and never-ending,” Gray said. “By giving financial support to the John Avery Boys & Girls Club, we are helping give children the resources to succeed in education, flourish in life and becoming responsible citizens.”

JABGC works with youth from disadvantaged economic, social and family circumstances. It serves more than 780 youth annually and provides its members with results-oriented programming, which is centered on academic success, healthy lifestyles and character. The club’s programs include mentoring, homework assistance, athletics, health and wellness, character development, the arts, and career-launch services. The club aims to serve youth when they are most vulnerable to negative influences: after school and during summer break.

In addition to the Foundation grants, employees in DPR’s Raleigh-Durham office provide volunteer support throughout the year. For example, five employees, including Gray who served as chair, sat on the organization’s golf committee for the annual “Golf Fore Kids” tournament, held in July. Additionally, by reaching out to subcontractors, a group of DPR volunteers raised $40,000 – more than half of the tournament’s grand total of $70,000 – and several DPR employees pitched in on the day of the event.