The Boys & Girls Club of Dewey breaks ground for the Ted & Melody Lyon Boys & Girls Club facility on Thursday afternoon.

The ceremony took place at the new Club location in the parking lot south of the Dewey football field. Boys & Girls Club CEO, Jason Barta says the space will be everything the kids in Dewey need to grow. He says the kids see people who care about them and have expectations of them and about them that will not let them fail.

Capital campaign leaders are pleased to present the project, which includes a 20,000 square foot state of the art building with a dedicated teen center, teen courtyard, gymnasium, computer lab, STEM center, art room, commercial kitchen, cafeteria and an outdoor space.

The building is being designed by Keleher Architects with Crossland Construction as the construction company. Construction is scheduled to begin this summer with a 15 month timeline and the hope of opening the new facility at the beginning of the 2023 school year. The ultimate goal is to serve more kids, more often, and with a greater impact and a facility located in the Dewey community will do just that.

Pictured below is the future vision for the Ted & Melody Lyon Boys & Girls Club in Dewey.

Barta, says that opening a Club in Dewey has been part of a strategic initiative for several years and is finally coming to fruition.

“We are thrilled to be able to serve youth and families in the Dewey area. Dewey kids are an important part of our Club family and have been for a long time,” Barta said. “However, the Dewey attendance numbers have always been limited by busing. Now, even more youth in the Dewey area will be able to participate and reap the benefits of a Boys & Girls Club in their own community.”

Students at Dewey Public Schools will be able to walk to the new Club each day and all Dewey area youth, between the ages of 7 and 18, will be eligible to join the new Club.

Superintendent of Dewey Public Schools, Vince Vincent, knows the value of providing after school options for kids and says that “A program such as this will be a tremendous asset to our school and community. The Boys & Girls Club has always been a fantastic partner in providing quality programs for our students, always focusing on what’s most important – the growth of a child. With not having many after school programs in Dewey, having an option so close to home removes many of the barriers for children to participate.”

Thanks to the generous support of all contributors, the long-term goal of providing a Boys & Girls Club in Dewey has been realized. Every single donation represents an investment in the future of youth in the Dewey community.

You can watch the groundbreaking ceremony for yourself below, courtesy of Tom Davis:

 

THE KIDS

 

THE DONORS

THE BOARD