Boys & Girls Club of Palm Springs will honor several significant community members and organizations at the upcoming “Be A Hero For Kids” Halloween Bash on October 29, 2023 at 4:30 pm at the Hilton Resort Palm Springs. The 2024 Honorees are Patty Delgado Service, who will receive the 75th Anniversary Inspiration Award, Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, who will receive the 75th Anniversary Community Superhero Award, and Steve Tobin and Johnny Krupa, who will receive the 75th Anniversary Champions for Youth Award. 100% of all donations will directly benefit Boys & Girls Club of Palm Springs. For information including sponsorship opportunities visit bgcps.org/events.
The annual “Be A Hero” fundraiser shines a spotlight on the important work of Boys & Girls Club and recognizes the community members and individuals who help the organization serve the community. More than 1,700 kids receive services from Boys & Girls Club, which fills the gap between school and home and is the one place kids can go after school to experience a welcoming, positive environment where they can have fun, participate in life-changing programs, and build supportive relationships with peers and caring adults. It is the largest after-school program provider in the City of Palm Springs and is an authority in youth development.
“We are thrilled to honor Patty Delgado Service, Steve Tobin and Johnny Krupa, and the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians this year at our annual event,” said Margaret Keung, CEO and Executive Director. “Their ongoing support enables The Boys and Girls Club of Palm Springs to provide the needed structure for kids who come under our wings and provide a vital place of stability. We are elated to acknowledge their collective efforts.”
About the Honorees:
Patty Delgado Service, 75th Anniversary Inspiration Award
One of the most beloved community leaders in the Coachella Valley, Patty Delgado Service, owner of the world-famous Las Casuelas Terraza Mexican restaurant in downtown Palm Springs, is famous for her community involvement and philanthropic efforts. When she was young, her brother belonged to the Club and she was so impressed with the organization that she volunteered at the front desk. Later she sought it out to support philanthropically and it became one of her favorite charities. Over the years, Patty has been honored with many titles, including serving on the boards of the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum, United Way, and Shelter From the Storm, where she started reading to children and later served more than 20 years on the board. She has participated in many significant community events, such as serving as the “Guardian Angel” of the Festival of Lights parade and as a judge for the Historic Palm Springs Woman’s Club Annual Chili Cook–Off.
To celebrate the day that Las Casuelas Terraza opened its doors, Patty and her family donated 40 percent of sales on that day to four local charities, selected because the organizations were close to the family’s hearts. These organizations, which nurture, feed and protect the community, were Boys & Girls Club of Palm Springs, AAP-Food Samaritans, the Palm Springs Police Officers’ Association, and Well in the Desert.
Her grandmother, Maria Farjardo, was well known in the early 1920s when copper miners in Arizona came to her kitchen door to purchase delicious meals she prepared in her earthenware pots and pans. Maria’s son, Florencio (Del) with his wife, Mary, brought his mother’s authentic Mexican recipes to Palm Springs in 1958. They opened the original Las Casuelas more than 60 years ago. Over the next few decades, the Delgado family opened four more restaurants in Greater Palm Springs, each owned and operated by one of their children. Del and Mary’s daughter, Patty, brought Las Casuelas Terraza to Palm Springs more than 40 years ago.
Steve Tobin and Johnny Krupa, 75th Anniversary Champions for Youth Award
Steve Tobin and Johnny Krupa oversee The Grace Helen Spearman Foundation, which honors the legacy of Ms. Spearman by providing funds to organizations and individuals to help improve the lives of the needy and less fortunate in our community. The mandate of the foundation remains consistent with Ms. Spearman’s kind and loving vision, giving to the types of organizations she supported with special emphasis in the fields of education, medical research, cultural arts, and assisting the impoverished and disabled.
Since its inception in 2004, the Foundation has contributed an impressive $6.2 million to many local, regional and national organizations including AIDS Project Los Angeles, Desert AIDS Project, FIND Food Bank, Friends of Palm Springs Animal Shelter, Greater Palm Springs Pride, Inc., LGBT Center of the Desert, Mizell Senior Center, and Trevor Project, Inc.
The foundation is managed by Steve Tobin. Earlier in his career, Tobin worked with the Mable Goodwin Memorial Trust, and through that connection met Ms. Goodwin’s daughter, Grace Helen Spearman. He then helped Ms. Spearman set up her own foundation and worked closely with her until her death, shortly before her 100th birthday. Since that time, Tobin has managed the foundation’s grant selection and approval process and has arranged for many substantial bequests to numerous local and regional organizations, including Boys & Girls Club of Palm Springs.
Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, 75th Anniversary Community Superhero Award
The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians is a federally recognized Indian Tribe located in Palm Springs, California, with more than 31,500 acres of reservation lands which include portions of Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, and portions of the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto mountains. They were chosen for this honor because their support inspires not only the individuals attending Boys & Girls Club programs but also the parents, staff, and adults in the community. Former Palm Springs Police Chief Bryan Reyes was the first Superhero for Kids in 2020.
About the Boys & Girls Club of Palm Springs:
The Boys & Girls Club mission and vision are “to enable and inspire all young people, especially those who need it most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.” Since 1948, it has been inspiring greatness in local youth and is committed to providing a Club experience that ensures success is within reach of every young person who walks through its doors.
The organization is committed to serving the youth in and around the City of Palm Springs. It strives to instill strong character, leadership skills, academic success and healthy living habits amongst its members and see them through to high school graduation, growing and retaining a solid membership foundation that will focus on pillars of community service, education, arts, and health and wellness.
BGCPS is a non-profit organization committed to ensuring equality and inclusion for all young people. It supports all youth and teens of every race, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, ability, socio-economic status, and religion in reaching their full potential. For more information visit bgcps.org or call 760.835.2450
