Massachusetts Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs bestow Representative Haggerty, Senator Rodrigues with House and Senate Champion of Youth Awards

Boston, MA – Last Thursday, the Massachusetts Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs hosted its 23rd Annual Legislative Luncheon and Advocacy Day, with Club members, staff and boards of directors, and elected officials in attendance from across the Commonwealth.

According to a release, the event featured remarks from State Representative Richard Haggerty, State Senator Michael Rodrigues, and Megan, 2025-2026 Massachusetts Youth of the Year and alumnus of the Woburn Boys & Girls Club.

“We were overjoyed to be able to gather with Boys & Girls Clubs from across the state to thank our legislators for all their support.” said Jennifer Aldworth, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs. “We are proud to serve children and teens across the Commonwealth in all of our communities and want to continue to partner in serving youth and families facing barriers to opportunity.”

As part of the event, the Alliance bestowed Representative Haggerty and Senator Rodrigues with its 2026 House and Senate Champion of Youth Awards, in recognition of their tireless advocacy on behalf of Boys & Girls Clubs on Beacon Hill.

Representative Richard Haggerty is a lifelong resident of Woburn and proud husband and father to his four-year-old daughter, Harper Rose. Since 2019, he has represented the 30th Middlesex District in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, serving the communities of Woburn and Reading, and currently serves as House Chair of the Joint Committee on Housing. Representative Haggerty has been a longtime supporter, with a personal connection to the James L. McKeown Boys & Girls Club, as his grandfather was one of the original founders of the Woburn Club.

“I am truly honored to receive this recognition from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Massachusetts. The Clubs do incredible work every day, giving kids a safe place after school, helping with homework, and providing essential support to families who need it most,” said Haggerty. “I’ve witnessed that impact firsthand in my own community. I’m incredibly proud of our local Club in Woburn and its dedicated leaders, and of my family’s seven decades of involvement. It means everything to me to carry on that legacy of investing in the young people of our community.”

State Senator Michael Rodrigues has represented the First Bristol and Plymouth District in the Massachusetts State Senate since 2010, serving the communities of Westport, Fall River, Freetown, Lakeville, Rochester, Somerset, and Swansea. As Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, he plays a leading role in shaping the Commonwealth’s budget and advancing major legislative priorities.

“I’m honored and thrilled to receive the Massachusetts Alliance of Boys and Girls Clubs ‘Champion of Youth Award!’ This award is especially meaningful to me, as I have been deeply involved with my local Boys and Girls Club Chapter in Fall River for many years. The Boys and Girls Club has served the Commonwealth for well over a century now, providing the most under-resourced youth with high-quality enrichment programs year-round, while ensuring unparalleled accessibility for our most economically vulnerable working families,” said Rodrigues. “As we have learned all too well, working families greatly benefit from the supplemental care and development their children receive from your array of programs; from high quality daycare, before and after-school programs, to summer camp activities that scaffold our children today, while also preparing them for success in the future. I can think of no organization that provides these critical supports for children and families on a more comprehensive or impactful level than the MA Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs.”

The event highlighted and celebrated the important role Clubs play in their communities: providing afterschool and out-of-school time programming, offering social and emotional support to kids and teens, serving hundreds of thousands of meals to those in need, and providing childcare to working families.

The Alliance also took the opportunity to call upon the legislature to support their $3 million budget request for FY2027, which will help Clubs to continue serving over 117,000 youth kids at 98 Club sites, extensions, and community impact programs across the Commonwealth.

“By building relationships with their elected officials, sharing their Club’s impact through the media, and so much more, our Clubs generate support that allows them to continue serving the young people who need them. We are thrilled to announce that ALL 39 traditional Boys & Girls Clubs in MA were recognized by Boys & Girls Clubs of America as Advocacy Award Winners for their work in 2025, with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro South winning the Northeast Region recognition!” commented Aldworth.

Also speaking during the event was Megan, alumnus of the Woburn Boys & Girls Club and the Alliance’s 2025-2026 Massachusetts Youth of the Year.

“I am a person who likes to help others because the Boys & Girls Club helped me, and nothing could ever lessen the impact that the Club has had on my life.” said Megan.