Great Futures fundraiser nets $100,000 for Boys & Girls Club
Following a successful fundraising event held held Sept. 17 at The Peninsula Golf & Country Club, the Great Futures Fund team was thrilled to present a check for $100,000 to aid in the ongoing building expansion for the Oak Orchard Riverdale Boys & Girls Club.
“We are blown away by the community support that has been shown over the past four years to help the club make this expansion project a reality,” said Leanne Silicato Prosser, Oak Orchard Boys & Girls Club board member and Great Futures Fund founding member. “Over 250 people attended the clambake fundraiser last month, and through their generosity, we were able to contribute an additional $100,000 to the building project in Oak Orchard.”
The club currently provides services for more than 100 children on a daily basis in its facility on Oak Orchard Road in Millsboro. “We run before- and after-school programs, a preschool and a summer camp program here,” said Erika Kennedy, club director. “The current programs are running on all cylinders, and when this expansion is completed in the spring of 2023, we will have room to serve the 50 children and families on our waiting list for the 5-12-year-old program. This expansion has been a dream of ours for the past five years, and we could not be more grateful for the community support.”
With the Oak Orchard, Millsboro and Long Neck areas growing quickly, the need for more services at the Boys & Girls Club has become increasingly apparent over the past two years. Previous fundraising events allowed the club directors, in conjunction with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware management team, to break ground on the building expansion earlier this year. Total expansion project costs are estimated at $1.1 million, and will include adding 2,400 square feet of space and removing temporary trailers.
“We are currently busy space planning and designing the interiors of this new addition,” said Kennedy. “With four additional classrooms, storage closets and cabinets, we are going to be able to offer all-new art and homework spaces. We are also planning on expanding services to our tweens with afternoon homework help, prevention programs and activities.” The expansion will also include four additional bathrooms, a designated middle school room and new technology such as smart boards or flat screens. The club will be hiring roughly seven new team members to help staff and provide support for the additional children and families.
The club is planning an exceptionally welcoming and comfortable environment for the community of children it serves. “We have been working out of an extremely small space for many years,” said Kennedy. “We have an amazing staff and team of volunteers that are helping us maximize this new addition. At the top of our wish list is a new electronic sign that can proudly display our Boys & Girls Club logo in front of this new building.”
To donate, go to greatfuturesgalade.com/donate.
To learn more about the Oak Orchard Riverdale Boys & Girls Club, contact Erica Kennedy at 302-945-2244.
