Categorized | Education

Boys & Girls Club of the Big Island opens new clubhouse

MEDIA RELEASE

HILO, HI—OCTOBER 13, 2009: The Boys & Girls Club of the Big Island will hold a Grand Opening of its newly renovated $1.8 million Hilo Clubhouse 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm, Thursday, October 22, 2009.

Built around the theme, “Uniting the Past with the Present,” the grand opening also serves as the Boys & Girls Club Hilo Reunion and aims to draw alumni to touch back.

The new facility has a climate-controlled Tech Center for the kids, provided by the Atherton Foundation, which houses 26 computers donated by HELCO. The Hilo Exchange Club donated a 30-document display of our country’s rich history, the “Freedom Shrine.”

A Game Room, provided through the grant-in-aid program and the Mary Dillingham and Walter F. Frear Eleemonsynary Trust, is furnished with ping pong and pool tables, fooseball, air hockey, and bumper pool. A new Art Center can accommodate larger program groups and meetings.

The Teen Area has its own game room equipment and program area. New restrooms for boys and girls have been added to the gym, which will get new lights and fresh interior paint. After the event, the gym floor will be resurfaced.

At the grand opening, The Club will also showcase the programs that enrich the lives of Hilo’s youth. As the premier youth development program on the island, the Boys & Girls Club provides activities for youth in fie core areas. The Grand Opening will display some of these programs as “A Day in the Life of the Boys & Girls Club.” All six clubs Hawaii Island Clubs will participate.

The event is open to the public; there will be tours and recognition of the sponsors and volunteers.

“We want to honor and remember our past and recognize all that we have to be thankful for today”, said Kalani Silva, Chief Professional Officer and Grand Opening committee chair. “We have a lot of fond memories and history in this organization and in particular this facility so it will be fun to get together with friends, alumni, staff, and the community.” Photos and memorabilia will be on display.

“As a newcomer to the organization, I am impressed and sort of blown away by how we do things today to engage kids and teach them life skills and the thoughtfulness in the delivery of that information. This is really not your mom and dad’s Boys & Girls Club. It is so much more,” he added.

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