This year marks the 10th anniversary since Boys & Girls Clubs of Thurston County opened the doors of their first Club, on the campus of Tumwater High School.
There are now four Thurston County Boys & Girls Clubs – the original Tumwater location, plus Clubs in Rochester, Lacey, and Olympia. All offer programming, mentors, and a safe, happy place to learn and grow for more than 2,000 area kids.
“We’re an after-school program,” explains Sarah Austin, Marketing Coordinator for Boys & Girls Clubs of Thurston County. “We do have a before-school program at a couple of the clubs too, but the meat of what we do is the after-school program.”
But unlike most drop-in centers or daycares, Boys & Girls Clubs of Thurston County have structured curriculum and trained professional staff that lead different activities.
The organization focuses on five core areas:
- Character and leadership development
- Education and career development
- Health and life skills
- The arts
- Sports, fitness, and recreation
“We structure our programming in the clubs around those five core areas,” says Austin.
The kids come into the Club each afternoon, get a chance to acclimate, have a snack, and then choose the program they want to take part in. There’s a schedule each day of half-hour or one-hour activities.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Thurston County offer a safe place for kids to call their own, where they can have fun and build lasting friendships.
“They’re able to have mentors in our staff members, and form really strong relationships,” says Austin.
The youth development agency also strives to instill a sense of competence, usefulness, belonging, and influence in each participating child.
The cost is $25 per year. “Part of our mission is to be affordable and make it accessible to all kids – especially the kids who need it most,” says Austin.
Participating children are often from low-income families, single-parent families, or families with two working parents who don’t have time in the afternoon to be home with their kids.
Scholarships are offered in cases of financial hardships.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Thurston County relies on donations from local businesses and community members to keep its important services going.
“For fundraising, we have two big events that we put on each year,” says Austin.
Each May, the agency puts on a “Foundation for the Future” breakfast. The event is free, but donations are accepted. This year’s breakfast, held at St. Martin’s University, welcomed 900 attendees – the largest turnout to date.
The second annual event, its “Born To Be Wild” auction, takes place Friday, October 21 at 5:30 p.m. at Great Wolf Lodge.
“We get about 500 people who attend,” says Austin. “It’s really fun, really casual.”
The evening includes dinner, as well as silent, live, and dessert auctions. Tickets are $100 and can be purchased by calling the Boys & Girls Clubs of Thurston County’s administrative offices at 360.956.0755.
“It’s a Harley theme, so some people come dressed like bikers,” Austin continues. “It’s really unique.”
The Harley theme is a direct nod to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Thurston County founder Steve Boone, who owns Northwest Harley-Davidson in Lacey.
“When I was a kid in Los Angeles I attended a Boys Club and I thought it was great, lots of fun,” Boone explains.
When he moved to Olympia, Boone noted the absence of any area Boys and Girls Clubs. “So I got some people together and we founded the first one here.”
“Boys and Girls Clubs benefit the child, but also the parents and the family,” Boone says. “A parent can count on Boys and Girls Club after school to be with their child, mentor him or her, and help him or her become a better citizen and better student.”
A much higher percentage of kids in Boys and Girls Clubs finish high school and go on to higher education. “That’s the reason I got involved,” says Boone.
The agency has set a goal to build a new Club in Olympia.
“We’ve started a capital campaign to build the club from the ground up,” says Austin. “We have plans in place for that. The site will be the ball fields at Garfield Elementary.”
For more information about each of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Thurston County locations, visit the Boys & Girls Clubs of Thurston County website. A wish list of items the Clubs could use, from headphones for computers to sports equipment, can be found here.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Thurston County
905 24th Way SW, Suite B3
Olympia WA 98502
360.956.0755
Olympia Club at Jefferson Middle School
2200 Conger Ave. NW
Olympia WA 98502
Monday through Friday, 2:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Lacey Club
1105 Tracey Lane SE
Lacey WA 98503
360.438.6811
Monday through Friday, 2:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Tumwater Club on the Tumwater High School Campus
600 Israel Rd. SW
Tumwater WA 98501
360.570.8888
Monday through Friday, 2:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Rochester Club in the Rochester Community Center
10140 Hwy. 12 SW
Rochester WA 98579
360.273.9397
Monday through Friday, 2:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
