The board of directors of the Boys and Girls Club of Indian River County has announced the public phase of a $4 million capital campaign to raise funds for a critically needed expansion of the Vero Beach Club campus. Monies will also be used for safety enhancements and facility improvements at the Sebastian and Fellsmere Clubs. At present, 1,500 children, ages 6 to 18, are served at the three locations through after-school and summer programs.
Vero Beach 32963 sat down to discuss the plans with a few of the campaign committee members – BGCIRC board co-chairmen Sherman Hotchkiss and Bill Munn; Jay McNamara, who served 12 years as board chairman and now sits on the BGCIRC Foundation board; and Roger Lynch, who serves on both boards. All serve on the campaign committee, which also includes its chairman Bruce Hammonds, and Dan Somers.
Despite an ever-increasing demand for services in the Vero Beach club, it is at capacity with a current roster of 255. The expansion will eliminate an extensive wait list, enabling the club to serve an additional 125 members per day during the school year, and will provide additional activity space for the summer program. Plans call for construction to begin spring 2015; becoming functional by fall 2016.
“The story really, in great part, goes back to Jay,” says Hotchkiss. “Jay was instrumental in seeing this adjacent building when he was running this board and, like a tiger, he was ferocious in securing the site for us to expand this in a much needed way. Jay saw this opportunity and seized on it, so it’s as much a tribute to Jay and his long-term sense of what this mission is and how to fulfil it.”
The county owns the property under the current club as well as the 3.8-acre adjacent tract of land. In June, 2013, the county agreed to divide the tract into two parcels, with 2.5 acres assigned to the BGC lease and the remainder to neighboring St. Francis Manor.
“We had a tight vote here on the land issue,” says Hotchkiss, crediting McNamara with ultimately persuading commissioners into a 3-2 vote to not sell the land. “It was not a slam dunk.”
“We were lucky to get them to add it to our long-term lease, which is $1 per year,” says McNamara of the 50-year lease, renewable in 50 years. “To succeed in any endeavor you need a lot of partners. And the governments, and I would include the City of Vero Beach, the County, and the Cities of Sebastian and Fellsmere, all provided us with land.”
An existing structure on the tract, originally built as a jail, will be demolished. In its place will be a 14,000 sq. ft. multi-purpose facility, providing indoor recreational space and additional classrooms.
“This jail, which is formidable, was ironically a prison for youth who got in trouble,” says McNamara. “It had a varied population, but a lot of young people. So here’s this history of a prison with younger people in it, and it’s going to be torn down and replaced by a formidable building with playing fields inside and outside for young people.”
“To keep them out of prison,” adds Hotchkiss.
“In this country the crime rate triples for youth between the hours of three and six, which is our busy time,” says McNamara. “So we are filling that need to keep the kids off the streets and into very productive activities when they’re here.”
Previous access to playing fields across the street was curtailed when the School District installed fencing, leaving the club with no outdoor recreational space. New plans call for an outdoor playing field, playground and exercise/walking trail.
“What will happen is we’ll have not just a building, but a campus which is comprehensive; you’ll have the whole kit and caboodle here,” says Lynch. “You’ve got the classrooms to teach them and you’ve got the outdoor area for physical fitness and health.”
“It’s all wrapped around a long-term mission for this club and the other two clubs we have. We want to broaden the space and make it a more well-rounded resource for families here in Indian River County,” adds Hotchkiss. “We want to be in the top five of the charities here in terms of awareness. And we’re getting there; that’s part of our mission.”
A high percentage of members come from families struggling financially – 47 percent from single-parent homes, 42 percent from families earning less than $20,000, and 80 percent eligible for free or reduced school lunches.
“While we’re serving 1,500 kids, we’re also serving lots of families,” says Hotchkiss, noting the significance of safe after-school facilities for children of working parents.
“It’s a ripple effect; it provides them with peace of mind while they’re at work,” adds McNamara.
There’s an obvious enthusiasm and singularity of purpose among board members; all uniformly committed to the project. In a true case of “putting their money where their mouth is,” they have achieved 100 percent campaign participation. With their pledges and those of several other individuals, they are already slightly more than halfway to the $4 million goal.
Lynch, a 10-year board member, was intrigued after his first visit. “I saw the kids get off the bus with big smiles, feeling comfortable and safe and I said this is an easy decision; this is instant gratification.”
Munn believes most board members are driven by the overwhelmingly positive outcomes, such as improved academic and behavioral performances, and that 98 percent of members advance to the next grade level.
“It’s been an exciting time for me. Walking through there and doing high-fives with the kids; that drives us too, but the results speak for themselves,” says Munn. “I think that’s a big part what stimulates us to keep growing; so we can help more kids.”
They credit the organization’s successful development to a well-managed board, hard-working committees and the commitment of a highly qualified, dedicated staff. All have high praise for the entire staff, especially its executive director, Elizabeth Thomason, citing her impressive skills and abilities.
“I’m really happy to see the consistency of the staffing here,” adds McNamara. “If you have a lot of turnover you know there’s something wrong. We have very little turnover here. Keeping people on board is a testament to the entire organization’s health.”
The growth is even more remarkable given that BGCIRC began just 14 years ago in one classroom at what was then Thompson Elementary School.
“We’ve had tremendous support from this community. It started with the United Way. From the very beginning, they were No. 1 in writing a check,” says McNamara. “We had no money; literally nothing and we used the first grant to hire our first employee. Then John’s Island Foundation came in and bought first capital goods; some computers and a vehicle to move the kids around.”
The John’s Island community continues to be an integral part of their development, but Hotchkiss adds,
“What we’re seeing now is a great growth of people outside of JI; helping this organization in a significant way.”
“We’re trying to broaden our base; we’re trying to get into all the communities,” agrees Munn.
“We’re willing to talk to any potential donor; from $1 to $10 million; you never know,” says Hotchkiss.
To visit the site and view their well thought-out plans, contact Elizabeth Thomason at 299-7449.