The Frank Callen Boys and Girls Club in Savannah received $50,000 in scholarships and the United Way of the Coastal Empire received $50,000 to assist victims of the recent flooding due to Hurricane Helene.

“We believe in investing in the future of our community,” said Komar Brands CEO Charlie Komar. “By supporting youth development programs and flood relief efforts, we’re creating a positive, long-lasting impact on the lives of our new neighbors. 

Boys & Girls Club CEO Mark Lindsay said the scholarships will have a major impact on students graduating from the mentorship and youth development program, which, at 106 years old, is the first and oldest in Georgia. The program, which operates out of a 17,000-square-foot facility in historic Savannah, has 1,000 members and reaches 350 youth from the ages of 5-18 per day. Many of these students come from single-parent households living below the poverty level.

“We are blessed to have an organization like the Komar Family Foundation that supports what we do at the Boys and Girls Club,” Lindsay said. “It helps us out tremendously.”

The Komar Foundation promised the club $10,000 per year for the next five years. The Boys & Girls Club currently gives a Youth of the Year scholarship to one exemplary graduate of the program, which has a 98 percent graduation rate. About 90 percent of program graduates plan to attend post-secondary institutions. The donation may help the organization expand the current scholarship program.

“Having grants like the one that the Komar Family Foundation gave us means everything to us,” Lindsay said. “This will give these kids a chance to show the world what they can do.” 

Brianne Yontz, Bryan County area director for the United Way of the Coastal Empire, said she was pleasantly surprised when Komar presented her with the check at the grand opening event.

“It’s not every day that we receive such a substantial donation,” Yontz said. “We are truly grateful for their support.”

The donation will support the United Way’s Rapid Response Disaster Fund, which offsets disaster costs for flood victims through intermediate and long-term support. The United Way is working with community partners and emergency managers to connect affected residents with available resources, services and support in response to what Georgia officials have called the most damaging hurricane to have ever hit the state.

“We originally scheduled our grand opening event for the week that Hurricane Helene hit,” Komar said. “When we saw the devastation and the impact it had on the location that we now call home, we knew we needed to help.”