BGCS Summer Lunch Program
UNITED WAY OF SIDNEY board member Tim Cutting presents a check to BGCS staff and members which will allow the club to provide free daily lunches, and enhance programming over the summer recess. Pictured (l-r) are BGC members Logan Raymond and Glenda Goble; Tim Cutting; BGCS staff member Quinn Dorsey; and club member Tabbitha Rifanburg.
SIDNEY - With the school year coming to an end, the Boys & Girls Club of Sidney (BGCS) is preparing for its 2011 summer program, which will begin on Monday, June 27. During the summer recess the BGCS will be open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. to better serve area youth and families. This year, the BGCS summer programming is being fully funded and supported by the United Way of Sidney.
Over the course of the summer, BGCS will be offering a wide variety of programs and events for area youth including weekly arts and crafts, a summer ice cream social, game room and interactive tournaments, open gym, triple play team sports and much more. The club will also be offering a variety of programs based on the Boys & Girls Club of America (BGCA) five core programs which are Sports, Fitness & Recreation, Character and Leadership Development, Health and Life Skills, Education and Career Development and The Arts. Members will also have the opportunity to participate in a variety of club service activities, which will promote the importance of volunteering. Monthly program calendars will be made available for download at www.bgcsidney.com.
In addition to club based programming, a variety of collaborative summer programming will be provided through various local organizations. Upcoming summer collaborative programming includes Cornell Cooperative Extension which will be testing a new program at the BGCS focused on healthy food and nutrition and the Delaware County Drug and Alcohol Abuse Council will be offering its "Sun Dog" Adventure program which focuses on outside activities and the importance of making good decisions when it comes to drugs and alcohol.
The BGCS will also be a host site for the CDO Work Force Summer Youth Employment Program, which provides onsite job training and work experience for area teens. Staff is also excited to welcome the Women's Network from MeadWestvaco which will be providing a specialized program for girls teaching them the importance of communication, team work, etiquette and more!
With the fi nancial support of the United Way of Sidney and a few member parents, the BGCS will once again be providing free daily summer lunch at noon. Since 2009, the BGCS has provided more than 3,350 lunches to area youth over the summer recess. "With the economy continuing to struggle the BGCS continues to see an increase in service here locally," said James Tweedie, Executive Director of the BGCS. "The funding from the United Way of Sidney for our summer program is an amazing gift that benefi to so many families which continue to struggle fi nancially. The BGCS and United Way of Sidney are proud to once again be able to provide this vital service to our area families during these hard economic times."
The Free Summer Lunch Program will begin on Monday, June 27 and continue to the last day of the Sidney summer recess. Lunch will be served at noon daily and will be provided by Two Doughboys Pizzeria in Sidney. Items served during the summer will include pizza, baked ziti, ravioli, hot dogs, pulled pork, tacos, sandwiches, salads and more.
The BGCS is open to all youth between 5 to 19 years of age and allows youth access to the club's game room where members can play pool, ping pong and foosball. In addition, the Club offers an interactive game room which allows members to access state of the art video game systems and a large selection of current gaming titles. Area teens also have access to an exclusive teen room where they can access online computers, watch TV and play on their own Xbox 360. All youth can access the internet in the Club’s online technology center utilizing the most current Microsoft operating systems.
For more information on any of the BGCS Summer Programs and how to become a member, contact the club at 561-2311 or email us at tritiownbgclub@yahoo.comcom.
Reprint from The Tri-Town News