TENNESSEE
Rising gang activity in Murfreesboro is only one reason the Boys & Girls Clubs of Rutherford County launched a $4.6 million capital and endowment campaign. The clubs want to open expanded teen centers in Murfreesboro and Smyrna and achieve a long-sought goal of a permanent and large enough facility to meet the fast growing need in Smyrna.
The campaign has started quietly with Smyrna community, civic and business leader Kenneth “Coon” Victory agreeing to head the effort of a large committee targeting the north end of the county and Murfreesboro. Victory’s committee is already working on “flooring gifts,” major donations with more than $1 million, including money raised previously for a Smyrna facility, a $200,000 commitment from the Smyrna Rotary and $200,000 from B&G board directors and staff.
The key item in the campaign is some $3 million needed to build a 24,000-square-foot facility in Smyrna on a four-acre site at the corner of Todd Lane and Culbertson Street donated by the city of Smyrna and Rutherford County Schools. Adding a 3,000-square-foot teen center to the Murfreesboro facility on Jones Boulevard will cost $600,000.
The campaign also seeks to fund a $1 million endowment to help offset increased operational costs at the new Smyrna center and to continue to provide low-cost or free service to community youth. The clubs serve 900 children in its summer program and have more than 1,400 members annually. The Smyrna unit currently occupies a former retail space in the Gill Center and has greatly outgrown its facility, Dan Jernigan, chief professional officer for the clubs, notes.
Victory agreed to head the campaign after being involved at the very beginning of the Boys and Girls Club program in Murfreesboro 21 years ago. He notes the success of the community in growth and prosperity and the need to plan and work to sustain quality of life. “When I look toward the future, several things emerge as critical needs that impact our present and future success,” he says in campaign material now being distributed.
“One of these critical needs is for a safe and positive place for our children to go when they are out of school. This is one of the reasons why I have decided to commit myself and resources to a very special cause – the Boys and Girls Clubs of Rutherford County’s ‘Now More than Ever’ Capital and Endowment Campaign.”
Jernigan addressed some basic questions about the campaign and the Boys and Girls Clubs in general:
Q. What is the B&G capital and endowment campaign?
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Rutherford is embarking on a $4.6 million Capital & Endowment Campaign. We plan to build a new facility in North Rutherford County that will include a teen center, as well as add a teen center to the existing Murfreesboro facility. In addition, we will raise $1million that will be used to endow our programs. As a result of the campaign, thousands of children will have access to a safe and positive place to go to everyday after school and throughout the summer.
Q. What community need will the campaign address?
In a nutshell—this campaign will keep youth off the streets. There are 58,731 children under the age of 18 in Rutherford County. When the school bell rings, thousands of children in our community are left alone. The hours of 3-6 p.m. are the most dangerous time for our youth because they are more likely to commit or be the victim of crime. According to recent statistics in Rutherford County, there were 2,348 teen pregnancies among girls ages 10-17, 611 juvenile arrests, 2,289 school dropouts and 21,968 families on food stamps.
The Boys & Girls Club is fighting to reach the children in Rutherford County that need us most. However, currently our Smyrna Unit is located in a rented space in a business complex and the Teen Program in Murfreesboro is confined to a small room. By building these facilities our youth, especially the teenagers, will have a wide array of opportunities afforded to them that they would not have without the Boys & Girls Club. You keep a child in the Boys & Girls Club; you will keep them off the streets and away from the gangs.
Q. Tell us about the proposed Smyrna facility:
Through the combined generosity of the Town of Smyrna and the Rutherford County Board of Education the Boys & Girls Club received four acres of land to construct a club facility. The facility, located at the corner of Todd Lane and Culbertson Street, is within walking distance of five schools. The current plans are to construct a 24,000-square-foot facility that will house both a Boys & Girls Club and a Teen Center, aka The Club. The new facility will include two learning centers, performing arts stage, art studio, two games room, lunchroom, small group instruction room, a dance studio, soccer field, outdoor basketball court, covered picnic area, and a kitchen.
Specifically, the new Boys & Girls Club will address the need for parents to have a safe and affordable place to send their children to after school and throughout the summer. Parents need to work. When the school bell rings parents need to know their children are being taken care of, especially in the realm of education. The Boys & Girls Club helps facilitate the wonderful work the schools are doing by assisting the Club members with their educational needs.
Q. Tell us about the Murfreesboro teen center:
In Rutherford County, teens remain significantly underserved. The risks and temptations to teens today are very alarming. Therefore their need for our services and for a safe and welcoming place is extremely high. The 3,000+-square-foot Murfreesboro Teen Center will be attached to the existing Murfreesboro Unit on Jones Boulevard. It will contain a café, learning loft, games room, computer lab, theatre pit, fitness center, and a recording studio. Already, through the generosity of a Community Development Block Grant, our teen programs have grown. Unfortunately, the confined space does not allow for too much future growth. Our Teen Center addition will help alleviate the stress that currently exists in our teen program.
Q. How is the campaign being conducted?
Our campaign is led by our Campaign Chairman, Mr. Kenneth “Coon” Victory. He and his committee have been working diligently securing our flooring gifts, which are gifts that set the tone for our overall campaign. Once our flooring gifts, or major gifts, are secured the plan is to then proceed to our next phase, which is our public campaign. Once enough money has been raised the organization will then proceed to the building phase, at which the official groundbreaking will take place. The organization plans to break ground in 2009 with a grand opening hopefully in early 2010. Of course, the construction could be sooner depending on the support of the community.
Q. How can people help?
In terms of helping out with our campaign, our most critical need is for people to make a donation. No gift is too small or unwanted. In order for us to be successful we need the entire community to come to the table to help us build these youth development centers. In addition, not only do we need individual gifts, but we need people to open up the doors to their friends, relatives and other individuals who might consider making a sizable gift as well. Other than the obvious money issue, we would love for individuals to offer their expertise in the areas of construction, site plans, water & sewer, etc. These are all areas the organization can save by having people donate their time and resources.
Q. What else do we need to know about the Boys & Girls Clubs?
The Boys & Girls Club has been serving
Rutherford County children for over 21 years now. Whether it is our
after-school program, summer day camp, or our sport leagues, the Boys &
Girls Club is here for your Rutherford County children. Our mission is
to enable our Club members, especially those who need us most, to
realize their full potential as productive, caring and responsible
citizens. We are a youth development organization dedicated to enriching
the lives of our children.
Editorial
10 August 2008
