Ribbon cutting ceremony to open the Fellsmere Boys & Girls Club [Photo: Denise Ritchie]

Supporters of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Indian River County recently celebrated the opening of a bright and airy 8,000-square-foot facility adjacent to the historic Old Fellsmere School building, home to the Fellsmere City Hall complex and, since 2010, the Fellsmere Boys & Girls Club.

“Just earlier this year, Larry and Karen Mulder came to us with a proposal to build a new facility for the Boys & Girls Club. They had a vision for the children and asked us to help them achieve our common goals,” said Bill Munn, BGCIRC board co-chair with Dan Somers, welcoming the crowd.

“It’s hard to believe that this project was a dream less than one year ago and here we stand with our dream realized. We had a hard-working board committee to help with raising the necessary funds,” added Munn. The project was overseen by architects Edlund Dritenbas and Binkley, Proctor Construction and Carter and Associates Engineering.

In addition to the Mulders’ lead gift of $1 million, Munn said they had 100 percent board participation and generous gifts from the community.

Earlier Larry Mulder, an avid cyclist, said he first discovered the Fellsmere Club about four years ago, while riding past the Old Fellsmere School. He soon began volunteering with a group of middle school boys, now fondly referred to as “The Mulder Dozen.”

Larry Mulder spoke enthusiastically of Fellsmere Club staff, led by its director, Keisha Rainey.

“These are great, giving people. They just give everything to these kids and I love that,” he said. “The easiest thing in the world is to write a check for this place. The toughest thing is what they do every day; to come here every day and spend time with these young kids who need help badly.”

The couple is also involved in Boys & Girls Clubs in Michigan, their primary residence.

“Our passion is to help children realize their potential. These are beautiful kids who have so much potential; they’re such nice kids,” said Karen Mulder.

Of the wonderful new facility, Munn said, “We’ve incorporated everything we could possibly think of in here. And we’ve also allowed for expansion.”

Elizabeth Thomason, BGCIRC executive director, said that the Fellsmere club currently has 156 members, an average daily attendance of about 115 and a wait list of 38 children, which they can now accommodate.

With a $2.2 million annual budget to run the Vero Beach, Sebastian and Fellsmere clubs, continued funding and additional staffing are their greatest challenges. Parents are charged minimal amounts of $30 for one child, $50 for two and nothing more for additional children. With an average household income of less than $25,000 for participants, some can’t even afford that.

“Countywide, 82 percent of our kids are on free and reduced lunch and almost 100 percent of the Fellsmere kids are on free and reduced lunch,” said Thomason.

Thomason said the new facility was built to enable diverse programming, from computers and enhanced technology, to books and creative space for budding artists, a multi-purpose room and an outdoor covered patio with tables.

For more information, visit bgcirc.org.