Lou Dantzler founded Challengers in his besieged neighborhood in the wake of the 1960s Watts riots. What started out as a circle of 12 boys meeting under a maple tree has grown into a $6 million facility that has served 32,000 boys and girls to date, creating productive citizens out of potential juvenile delinquents. A South Carolina transplant to South Central LA who was once victimized by racial violence, Dantzler was determined to break the cycle of hatred and bigotry. In A Place to Go, A Place to Grow, he shares his philosophy of caring and the secrets of his success working with at-risk kids. The list of people who recognize Dantzler's talent for getting these disadvantaged young people to reach their full potential reads like a Who's Who of notables. President George H. W. Bush has said that Challengers' existence "proves the power of our better selves. " Denzel Washington calls the club "an oasis" and says Dantzler epitomizes "what a role model is. " And Sidney Poitier praises it as "a great service to young people. It gives them a sense of belonging. "