Community leaders, philanthropists and Henry County residents will gather Sept. 25 for Footprints for the Future, a fundraising gala benefiting the Shaquille O’Neal Boys & Girls Club.
The event, organized by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta’s Henry County Advisory Board, begins at 6:30 p.m. at Sixty on Sims, 60 Sims St. in McDonough. Proceeds will support the club’s academic enrichment, leadership development, mentorship, and workforce readiness programs for local youth.
Guests can expect live music, dinner and networking, along with a look at how local giving is shaping outcomes for Henry County kids and teens, according to organizers. The evening also gives corporate partners and community stakeholders a public platform to back education, leadership, and economic development work in the county.
“We believe every young person deserves the opportunity to realize their potential and achieve their dreams,” the Henry County Advisory Board said in a statement. “Footprints for the Future brings our community together to invest in the next generation of leaders while strengthening the future of Henry County.”
Tickets and sponsorships
Individual tickets cost $75, and couples can attend for $125. Sponsorships run in four tiers: a $1,000 Steps Forward sponsorship, a $2,500 Trailblazer sponsorship, a $5,000 Pinnacle Partner sponsorship, and a $10,000 Summit Sponsor package.
Benefits scale with each tier and can include event tickets, reserved seating, company recognition in event marketing and signage, website and social media promotion, opportunities to meet club members, and speaking slots during the program. Organizers frame the sponsorships as a way for local businesses to put their name behind youth programs rather than simply writing a check, with higher tiers building in more visibility at the event itself. Tickets and sponsorship information are available at BGCMA.org/2026-footprints-for-the-future.
A club built on Shaq’s promise
The Henry County club is one of 26 that Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta operates across nine metro counties, serving more than 8,000 kids and teens ages 6 to 18 each year through programs run during out-of-school hours. The organization has operated in metro Atlanta for more than 85 years.
The Henry County location opened in August 2021 inside the former Henry County Middle School building, following a $1.1 million renovation funded in part by a $1 million gift from the Shaquille O’Neal Foundation. O’Neal has said the Boys & Girls Club shaped his own childhood, and the Henry County club carries his name as a result of that donation.
Organizers say the September gala is meant to give Henry County residents and businesses a direct way to fund the programs that follow kids through the school year, from tutoring and mentorship to job readiness training aimed at getting teens ready for life after graduation.
