Gary Cain, part fund-raiser, part communicator and part humanitarian, is a jack of many trades and a master of them all.

by Sarah Sekula

Gary Cain, president of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida, knows the clubs’ benefits firsthand. When he was 11, his mother divorced his alcoholic father, his sister was pregnant and one of his older siblings had just been shipped off to jail.

“In many ways, the wheels were coming off in my family,” Cain says. “My club treated me as an individual, taught me about values and sheltered me from the storm that was ongoing in my family.”

It’s no wonder he’s so passionate about this organization. And it’s no surprise that the club recently received the coveted four-star rating from America’s largest independent charity evaluator, Charity Navigator, for the fifth consecutive year, a distinction that only about 4 percent of national charities ever achieve.

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Catching Up With Cain

FirstMonday recently chatted with the nonprofit dynamo, who says, “Nothing beats working directly with children and knowing that you are making a big difference in their lives.”

Here is more of what’s on his mind:

What’s in store for BGCCF next year?

“We will open our new Tupperware Brands Branch in Osceola County and, hopefully, our new Joe R. Lee Branch in Eatonville.”

What’s your favorite part of a typical day?

“I very much enjoy engaging our donors and supporters in conversation about how we can be better at what we do.”

Describe one child who has had a lasting impact on you.

“I often think of a youngster named Leonard, who grew up in very impoverished circumstances. His parents were intellectually challenged, and his older brother was mentally delayed. Leonard excelled at everything he did, and he received his engineering degree from Virginia Tech. Leonard always reminds me of the great capacity of the human spirit.”

What’s the simplest thing you never learned to do?

“I don’t know that it is simple, but I never learned to play golf.”

What keeps you up at night?

“Almost always work-related challenges or excitement over projects that we are involved with.”

Who’s the smartest person you know?

“Three people come to mind. Joe R. Lee, the retired chairman and CEO of Darden Restaurants. Joe is brilliant in his intellect and in engaging others, while keeping his ego in check. The second is Rick Goings, chairman and CEO of Tupperware Brands Corp. Rick has mastered numerous languages, is brilliant at running a multinational corporation and has tremendous EQ [emotional quotient]. The third is our board chair, Gary Kaltbaum. I don’t know that there is anyone in the country who understands the stock market more than Gary.”

What skill would you most like to improve?

“Listening.”

What are your hobbies and pastimes — any unusual accomplishments?

“I enjoy fishing, tennis and running. I was the table tennis champ at my college [Tusculum College in Greeneville, Tenn.] and played on the tennis team.”

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Positive Place

Each year, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida organization serves more than 13,000 youth between ages 6 and 18 and provides them a safe place to learn and grow.

At each of the 31 Clubs in Brevard, Osceola, Orange and Seminole counties, core youth-development programs are offered to meet the diverse needs and interests of members. Consider this: 98 percent of all club members who were high school seniors graduated, and less than one-tenth of 1 percent of members have ever been arrested.

Pretty impressive, indeed.

Here’s how you or your company can help:

• Mentor a youth
• Read with a child
• Lead a sports activity
• Host a club career fair
• Volunteer as a group
• Adopt a club in your district
• Ask a representative to speak at your next staff function
• Contribute to the corporate giving campaign

For more information, visit www.bgccf.org or call 407. 841.6855.