Boys and Girls Club hosts grand opening celebration for new clubhouse
Mayor Steve Martin with Michael Boyer, CEO of the Boys and Girls Club, and Kathleen Maas, widow of Tom Maas and owner of Pear Valley Winery.
More than one hundred people walked through the new facility and admired it
– The Boys and Girls Club of Mid-Central Coast held an opening celebration Wednesday afternoon at their new facility. The Paso Robles Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting. Mayor Steve Martin and members of the committee responsible for building the new clubhouse all spoke. More than one hundred people walked through the new facility and admired it.
The celebration comes after a successful capital campaign that raised $3.5 million and a year of construction.
Club Committee Treasurer Gene Runkle says over 150 children are signed up for the summer program.
The new clubhouse is located on Oak Street, just north of 32nd. It’s a couple of blocks south of Georgia Brown school. The facility will accommodate several hundred children for summer and after-school activities. There is a kitchen where kids can learn to cook. There is a STEM room, ping pong, air hockey tables, a basketball court outside, and many other amenities.
Many local community leaders attended the event and the Paso Robles Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon-cutting.
The mayor and those committee members all talked about the generosity of the community in making it possible. One wall has an extensive list of contributors either with cash or in-kind donations.
On hand for the event, Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg of the 3rd District, Paso Robles City Councilman John Hamon, and many business leaders in the community.
The Boys and Girls Club will open for business Monday, June 20. Club Committee Treasurer Gene Runkle says over 150 children are signed up for the summer program. Runkle is chairman of the building committee and has overseen the entire building project.
The new clubhouse also has new administrative offices, allowing for staff expansion as programming increases, as well as a flexible space that can be used for events and community meeting space. The building is designed to be green, in an effort to be energy efficient and sustainable long term.
Runkle said, “My wife Sue and I are so proud to be part of a community who came together to ensure that the youth of Paso Robles have the services they need to thrive. The fact that we were able to build this amazing facility to help so many kids in a very difficult time for young people and their families makes this ribbon cutting so much more special. As a friend of Tom Maas, I know he would be so proud to see what he helped make possible.”
The Boys & Girls Club was chartered in 1995 in Paso Robles and is currently operating on the Flamson Middle School campus. The Tom Maas Clubhouse will be open for Summer programming and is taking reservations for youth in grade K- 5 now. Middle schoolers and high schoolers looking for summer programming can find opportunities at the Flamson Club in Paso Robles. Boys & Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast is open to all children looking for a safe, high-quality after-school or out-of-school place to learn, have fun, and make friends. Applications for membership, information on scholarships, and other information is available on www.centralcoastkids.org or by calling (805) 922-7163.
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