Lasting Outreach
boys & girls club, community involvement, recreation,
Few organizations have the kind of lasting impact on a community as do the Boys & Girls Clubs. Cheyenne Boys & Girls Club is no exception.
One of just of over 3,000 clubs in the country, BGC of Cheyenne serves an average of 100 young people daily, ranging from first-graders to high school seniors. The students come to the BGC to participate in sports, take music lessons and improve academically through tutoring.
“We are not a daycare center, but we do take care of kids,” says BGC of Cheyenne Executive Director Gordon Eldredge. “We are not a recreation center, but we use recreation sports to draw kids into the club. We are not a treatment center, but we help a lot of kids with just growing up. We are actually a discovery center.”
BGC makes a large-scale impact by reaching out to one youngster at a time. Youth who join BGC are likely to be involved in the program for years, often volunteering as adults.
Now in its 11th year in Cheyenne, the club has recently unveiled plans for a major expansion of its facility. Although still on the drawing board, the planned 30,000-square-foot facility will sit on 12 acres and include playing fields. It will accommodate up to 300 young people at a time.
“The potential to impact kids is growing with the possibility of the new facility,” Eldredge says. “The only reason we exist is because of good people in the community who care about our young people. Keeping kids on the right track keeps the city on the right track.”
Numerous businesses have donated to the organization, and Eldredge says he continues to try and get the word out about the many positive contributions BGC makes to the Cheyenne community.
Story by Brandon Lowe
Photo by Courtesy of © 2007 Boys & Girls Clubs of America
