Boys & Girls Clubs of America Recognize Louisiana Teen as First-Ever Cox Mobile Phone Case Design Contest Winner
Press Release
ATLANTA – March 26, 2024 – Sixteen-year-old Gracie A. of Leroy, Louisiana was recognized as Cox Mobile’s first-ever phone case design contest winner during a local celebration at the Children’s Museum of Acadiana yesterday. A member of Boys & Girls Clubs of Acadiana for Gracie’s winning design, themed “A World Within Reach,” earned her a $25,000 scholarship to help her on the path toward a great future.
“Hands of the World reflects the beauty of connection and the power of dreams,” says Gracie A. “As a teenage artist, I wanted to create a design that celebrates how people from all over the globe can reach out, inspire, and uplift each other. The gradient background of blues, purples, and pinks represents a world full of hope and endless possibilities.”
An aspiring forensic scientist, Gracie says she has always loved art but never got the chance to do it much until she began attending Boys & Girls Club after school.
Held in partnership with Cox Communications to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Cox Innovation labs in Boys & Girls Clubs, the contest invited eligible Boys & Girls Club members from Cox markets to submit original phone case designs. As the award-winning design winner, Gracie’s art will be manufactured on phone cases by Otterbox and sold online and in Cox Mobile stores.
As the winner, Gracie’s Club, Vermilion Club in Abbeville, will also receive a $25,000 grant to open a Cox Innovation Lab, a space dedicated to providing kids and teens with the technology and resources they need to succeed.
“We are incredibly proud of Gracie and her remarkable achievement,” said Rhyan Wheeler, CEO & President of Boys & Girls Clubs of Acadiana. ” Her story is a testament to the limitless opportunities available to young people when they are given the right tools and encouragement. This scholarship will support her future aspirations, and the Cox Innovation Lab will ensure even more Club members can explore and thrive in the world of technology and creativity.”
About Boys & Girls Clubs of America
For more than 160 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA.org) has provided a safe place for kids and teens to learn and grow. Clubs offer caring adult mentors, fun and friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Boys & Girls Clubs programming promotes academic success, good character and leadership, and healthy lifestyles. Over 5,400 Clubs serve more than 3 million young people through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs are located in cities, towns, public housing and on Native lands throughout the country, and serve military families in BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide. The national headquarters is located in Atlanta. Learn more about Boys & Girls Clubs of America on Facebook and X.
About Cox Communications
Cox Communications is committed to creating meaningful moments of human connection through technology. As the largest private broadband company in America, we operate fiber-powered networks in more than 30 states, providing connections and advanced cloud and managed IT services for nearly seven million homes and businesses nationwide. We’re dedicated to empowering others to build a better future and celebrate diverse products, people, suppliers, communities, and the characteristics that make each one unique. Cox Communications is the largest division of Cox Enterprises, a family-owned business founded in 1898 by Governor James M. Cox.
Through Cox Business, Hospitality Network, RapidScale and Segra, Cox Communications provides a broad commercial services portfolio including advanced cloud, managed IT and fiber-based network solutions that create connected environments, unique hospitality experiences and support diverse applications for nearly 370,000 businesses nationwide.
Media Contacts
Eliza Lynch
Director of Public Relations
Boys & Girls Clubs of America
203-522-7010
elynch@bgca.org
