– Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County (BGCGTC) welcomed community leaders, supporters and partners to the 2026 Youth of the Year Gala presented by BNSF Railway at Omni Fort Worth on Feb. 20. The event honored Ja’Miyah as the organization’s 2026 Youth of the Year for the second year in a row, recognized the Rotary Club of Fort Worth as the recipient of the Dr. Robert & Sara Brown Humanitarian Award, and unveiled BGCGTC’s 100th anniversary logo.
“No matter what background you have or what you’re going through, you are loved and supported when you walk through those doors,” said Ja’Miyah, BGCGTC’s 2026 Youth of the Year. “I hope my story shows other kids that they, too, can accomplish great things if they believe in themselves.”
The evening, hosted by 2020 Youth of the Year Torion Lewis, spotlighted the leadership, resilience and character of BGCGTC’s Youth of the Year finalists while honoring a legacy that stretches back to 1926, when the Panther Boys Club first opened its doors in Fort Worth. That history was brought to life during the centennial logo reveal — a defining moment in the program that connected past and present. As the organization reflected on 100 years of service, it honored the community champions who shaped the early movement, including the women who organized and sustained the Club in its formative years and the civic leaders who believed young people deserved a safe place to grow.
The impact of that belief became especially clear during times of national hardship. During World War II, young men who once walked through Club doors wrote letters back to branch directors while enemy planes droned overhead, thanking them for the mentorship, structure and encouragement they received as Club kids. Preserved in BGCGTC’s archives, those letters tell the story of youth who carried lessons of leadership, discipline and character from Fort Worth into military service around the world.
“Through decades of change — from wartime uncertainty to expansion across North Texas and the inclusion of girls as the mission evolved — one truth has remained constant: the Club has always been a steady, dependable home for young people,” said Daphne Barlow, CEO and President of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County. “For a century, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County has been a place where kids find belonging, opportunity and adults who believe in their potential.”
The Dr. Robert & Sara Brown Humanitarian Award, first presented in 1998, honors individuals and organizations whose service and leadership have made a lasting impact on Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County and the youth it serves. This year’s award was presented to the Rotary Club of Fort Worth, recognizing the organization’s foundational role in the history of Boys & Girls Clubs in the Fort Worth community. Ann Sheets, President of the Rotary Club of Fort Worth, accepted the award on behalf of the organization.
Youth of the Year is one of the most prestigious programs in the Boys & Girls Clubs Movement, recognizing teens who demonstrate academic success, leadership, service and strong character. Finalists complete months of mentorship, interviews, community service and public speaking development as part of the program. As the 2026 Youth of the Year, Ja’Miyah will advance to represent BGCGTC at the state level, serving as a youth ambassador for Club kids across Texas. “Tonight, we celebrate young people who lead with courage and purpose, and we celebrate a community that has chosen, for 100 years, to show up for kids,” said Barlow. “Our centennial year reflects on every young person who has walked through our doors, every mentor who has believed in them and every partner who has helped turn potential into possibility.”
Proceeds from the gala support BGCGTC’s mission to enable all young people, especially those who need the Club most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. For more information about the Youth of the Year program or Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County’s centennial year, visit bgcgtc.org.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County Founded in 1926, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County is the oldest and largest Boys & Girls Club organization in Texas, serving youth ages 6 to 18 across Tarrant, Denton and Hill counties. Operating 26 locations, BGCGTC provides high-impact programs focused on academic success, healthy lifestyles, leadership and workforce readiness. In 2025, BGCGTC served more than 88,000 young people across North Texas.
