Armstrong Garden Centers, Pike Nurseries celebrate 10 years of support for the Boys Republic Golf Program

Armstrong Garden Centers and Pike Nurseries this month marked the 10th anniversary of their partnership with the Boys Republic Golf Program.The horticulture mainstays join other sponsors in funding the program, which is designed to help at-risk youths learn an array of valuable skills that will help them enjoy productive adult lives.

Armstrong and Pike became partners with Boys Republic in 2000, lending a boost to the golf program, which along with other projects led by Boys Republic, has helped guide more than 28,000 at-risk youth toward productive lives.

The golf program is held at Los Serranos Country Club in Chino Hills, Calif., and is taught by PGA Professional Jim Blea. The program is very popular among the boys, and is a great motivator for them. The game of golf is a great lesson provider for the values of good sportsmanship and camaraderie, and it promotes character. The program was started in 2000 by Michael Toomey, a local businessman.

Boys Republic was founded in 1907 and is a private, non-profit, nonsectarian school and treatment community for troubled youngsters. In addition to the golf program, it also is behind the Della Robbia wreath-making project. The youth make wreaths available through Boys Republic, a project that hones life and work skills that can benefit graduates of Boys Republic for the rest of their lives.

The most famous graduate is the late actor Steve McQueen, who came back for visits with the students on a regular basis. His son Chad chairs the planning committee for the 4th Annual Friends of Steve McQueen Car Show that will be held June 4, 2011 at Boys Republic in Chino Hills.

For more information on the Della Robbia wreath program, click here.

Photo information: Mike Kunce, chief executive officer, Armstrong Garden Centers/ Pike Nurseries, and Monte Enright, president of Armstrong Garden Centers, receive a Boy’s Republic Della Robbia Christmas Wreath in appreciation for their support the past 10 years of the Boy’s Republic Golf Program.