Boys & Girls Club Blog

Today I wanted to put a shout out to all or our amazing Boys & Girls Club families who engage in program opportunities. We have had such great turn outs at our family nights over the past year. We have been averaging over 35 different families at these events and special occasions.

Family nights give our members the opportunity to show off their Boys & Girls Club pride. It is so cool to watch members teach a parent a game, shoot some hoops, create an art project and enjoy a meal together. These evenings are developed so that adults too can enjoy the fun of the Boys & Girls Club and embrace the opportunities for growth with their child.

Some of my favorite nights are carving pumpkins at Halloween Family Night and watching all the unique creations. Then some who dare to tour the teens’ haunted house which they work so hard on in order to scare you.

The Christmas party is a great night for us to celebrate the holiday season as we join together for a fabulous holiday meal prepared by our Alumni Association. Alumni are members of the past giving back to the present, what a great gift is that. The secret Santa workshop is the place I like to watch as members pick out a present for a parent. Their eyes are so big and their choices so careful to pick out the best present that they can find for the one they love. How can one top the time spent with Santa on this night?

In March, we will celebrate our members in our Annual Youth of the Year celebration which will be held at the Best Western Premier Waterfront Convention Center for its second year. The event has become so big it has exploded from our gym walls. Members will celebrate their accomplishments over the year with so many of our families buy their sides. This is an event that you are going to want to be at celebrating with a catered meal, and watching your child receive an award on the big stage in front of 200 people. We will also be giving out a $10,000 scholarship that evening for our Youth of the Year.

Family nights also give us the opportunity to share information with our families such as healthy meals, creating a budget, internet safety to name a few. This year we also kicked off our Children and Teen Grief Support Network that provides support to families experiencing grief from a loss of a person. Grief nights are the second Thursday of every month from 6:00-8:00 and include a meal, break out groups for children and parents to do activities and process grief in a supportive setting. We have 11 different families currently in this program and more are welcome.

If you are family that participates in family nights we appreciate you being such a big part of our Club community. If you have not had an opportunity to join us, I encourage you to spend an evening with us at one of our events. It is a great way to get the family together for a free evening of fun. Looking forward to seeing some different faces at our next family night.

Written by: Lori Fields, Radford Center Director