DANVERS – The Boys & Girls Club of Lynn honored four stalwarts Thursday night with the help of a former New England Patriots superstar.
A record crowd of 550 guests packed Danversport for the club’s eighth gala, which raised almost $300,000 to support programming at the club and an ongoing building project that will significantly improve opportunities for members.
Brendan Ward was inducted into the Boys & Girls Club Hall of Fame, while Magnolia Contreras and John Pavia were presented the Commitment to Youth Award. GE Aerospace received the Helping Hands Business of the Year Award.
Julian Edelman, a three-time Super Bowl champion and MVP of Super Bowl LIII, served as guest emcee and posed for almost as many photos as he had receptions (620) in his spectacular career with the Patriots. Club members added to the celebration with a dance routine, with Edelman proving to be a quick study in joining them.
Edelman said he was a Boys & Girls Club member growing up in the San Francisco area. “The Boys & Girls Club helps kids create a community in their community,” he said.
Funds raised at the gala help the Boys & Girls Club bridge the gap between the cost of running its programs and what it charges families.
“We are sincerely grateful for all who provided financial support for this event,” said Brian Theirrien, BGCL executive director. “Thanks to all who sponsored, attended, our donor base and foundations, we exceeded our fundraising goal.”
Ward is a lifelong North Shore resident and a partner at Touchstone Law Offices, where he serves as chief operating officer. A graduate of St. John’s Prep, UNH and the New England School of Law and a respected estate planning and real estate attorney, he has built a practice dedicated to helping modern families protect what matters most. He serves as vice chair of the board of directors for the BGCL and LifeScene, and is a member of the boards of the Essex County Community Foundation and Lynn Community Health Center.
“This is one of my favorite charities,” Ward said. “I think it’ very important that all kids have an opportunity to be supported with education, sports and enrichment. This is a great honor.”
Contreras is vice president of Community Health at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, charged with helping to advance Dana Farber’s mission to support diverse communities with a continuum of expert, compassionate, and equitable cancer care to improve outcomes in historically marginalized populations. She has more than 30 years’ experience in the nonprofit sector working on issues related to public health, public policy, health and community health care.
A graduate of Boston College, Simmons College Graduate School of Social Work and Suffolk University Sawyer Business School, Contreras has been an adjunct faculty member at Salem State University, Simmons College and Boston College.
“When I started to understand the work that is happening at the Boys & Girls Club it was so impressive,” Contreras said. “I could see real learning. The staff are so committed to teaching these kids. We continue to invest in the young people in our community. I feel so hopeful for Lynn.”
Pavia, who was known for his infectious joy and exceptional ability to forge genuine connections, was honored posthumously. His career was marked by a deep commitment to the development and well-being of young people. He held a master’s in special education from UMass and taught at Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational Technical High School and Chelsea High School.
Pavia was vice principal at Lynn English High School and Thurgood Marshall Middle School. In addition to running after-school programs, served as varsity baseball and girls basketball coach at Chelsea High School, as well as assistant coach in football and boys basketball. At Lynn English and Thurgood Marshall, he was credited with developing camaraderie with an element of joy among students and staff.
GE Aerospace is a global aerospace propulsion, services, and systems leader with an installed base of approximately 49,000 commercial and 29,000 military aircraft engines. With a global team of approximately 53,000 employees building on more than a century of innovation and learning, GE Aerospace is committed to inventing the future of flight, lifting people up, and bringing them home safely.
A $7 million Phase 1 renovation of the Boys & Girls Club was completed in 2020. Phase 2 is a $25 million project that is expected to be done late in 2026. The back section of the club was removed and will be replaced by a new wing that will be three floors to match the front. In addition to a new gym and new pool, there will be a full cafeteria with industrial kitchen, fitness room, two additional licensed childcare classrooms, and dance and theater room. The new teen space will provide opportunities for college preparation, career readiness, community service and club service.
“For a generation, the Boys & Girls Club has been changing lives,” said BGCL board chair Adriana Moschella. “Kids need to know that someone believes in them. The work at the Boys & Girls Club of Lynn is not optional, it’s essential.”
