Celebrates 20 Years of Service
for the club’s game room at the club’s 20th anniversary dinner.
SIDNEY - The Boys & Girls Club of Sidney celebrated its 20th Anniversary at a dinner in September at the Sacred Heart Parish in Sidney. This event allowed those in attendance to reflect and recognize the accomplishments of the club and thank the countless volunteers and businesses that have helped make the Boys & Girls Club of Sidney possible.
Over the twenty years of service more than 4,000 area youth have participated in club events and activities. None of these services would have been possible if it were not for the Sidney Area Youth Advocate Program (SAYAP), which held the first community Steering Committee meeting on Nov. 9, 1989. After this fi rst steering meeting the Sidney community banded together and by June 15, 1990 the Tri-Town Boys & Girls Club was incorporated. By Dec. 13, 1990 a temporary club site was open in the Basil Building in Sidney and on Jan. 1, 1990 the club was named an offi cial charter member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and moved it to its current home in the Sidney Civic Center in Nov. 2, 1991.
"When you look back over our history it’s amazing to see how quickly the idea of Boys & Girls Club went from a dream of a few to an actual organization providing programming daily to our youth." said James Tweedie, Executive Director of the BGCS. "This is what makes Sidney amazing! Through hard work and financial support from our community members and businesses the club has been able to raise more than $1.5 million to build and sustain an organization that is normally only found in larger populated areas, providing vital after school and summer youth programming for more than twenty years."
In addition to a brief walk down memory lane, the BGCS was honored to have NYS Senator John Bonacic as its guest speaker. Senator Bonacic spoke about the importance of programs like the BGCS and the impact it has on a local community and how fortunate Sidney is to have such an organization. Senator Bonacic also presented the organization with a State of New York Legislative Resolution honoring the BGCS for its 20 years of service.
During the evening the During the evening the BGCS presented its 2010 "Be Great" Award to the Southside JC Penney store which has raised more than $4,800 in the last two years in its After School Round Up. Store Manager Patricia Cartossa was present at the dinner to accept the award on behalf of her associates and the store.
The United Way of Sidney also made a special presentation to the BGCS and its members. The 2010 Co-Chairman Scott Hasselbarth informed those in attendance that the United Way of Sidney will be donating the funds to purchase a new commercial air hockey table for the club game room in celebration of its 20th year of service.
On behalf of the BGCS and its members we would like to thank all of our community partners and sponsors who have supported the club and made our 20th Anniversary possible. To learn more about the BGCS visit the clubs offi cial web page at www.bgcsidney.com or call 561-2311.
Reprint from The Tri-Town News