Town Ball in Oakland draws NBA Hall of Famer Gary Payton and other celebrities

A Boys and Girls fundraiser on Friday drew celebrities and businessmen and athletes to the Bay Area, for a good cause. 

The Town Ball in Oakland returned with a celebration and a ceremony honoring six awardees, including Oakland's mayor Libby Schaaf, NBA Hall of Famer Gary Payton, businessman George Zimmer, San Francisco Foundation CEO Fred Blackwell. 


The annual fundraiser drew a crowd to BLOC15 near Jack London Square.


"It's been a tough three years and this is our first in-person event," said Cal Stanley, President and CEO of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Oakland.

Stanley said the nonprofit is in need of donations, especially this time of year. 

"Some will go to our supplemental educational programs, to help kids put their best foot forward academically, graduate on time, and move forward as positive contributors," Stanley said. 


Payton, who received the Living Legend award, grew up in Oakland and is a former member of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Oakland. 


"It was an honor for them to come nominate me and get this award, especially in Oakland, California," Payton said.

He said the club was a safe haven for him growing up. 

At the event, he told kids in attendance to focus on school work. 


"Go to the Boys and Girls Club. Get your homework done. Then go home and go to sleep," Payton said. "You don't have to be on the streets. That's why it helped me become the person who I am."


Fred Blackwell, the CEO of the San Francisco Foundation, received the Advocate Champion award. He also grew up with the Boys and Girls clubs of Oakland. 


"I was actually a member of the West Oakland Club and played basketball there, so it's kind of full circle. It's really an honor," Blackwell said.

George Zimmer, the founder of Men's Wearhouse and Generation Tux, received the Lifetime Achievement award.

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"This is a city that has not had enough money for decades, and it's a problem with the Oakland Boys and Girls Clubs. It's not rocket science," said Zimmer, who credited Stanley for drawing him in to support the Boys and Girls Clubs of Oakland. 


Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf attended as the recipient of the Game Changer Award. She was seated next to the Youth of the Year, a McClymond's high school senior named Latayza. 

Funding for the clubs are especially needed this year after a wind storm last January tore a hole in the roof of one clubhouse that now leaks and needs repairs. 


The Boys and Girls Clubs of Oakland said they had a 100% graduation rate this year for their high school seniors, and they hope proceeds from this Town Ball will help them serve approximately 4,000 young people in Oakland. 
 

OaklandNews