The new facility will have a full-sized gym, sensory room, art room, dance studio, teen center, esports arena, classrooms and administrative offices, along with an area dedicated to workforce development.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
“Dayton currently has more jobs than qualified people to take these jobs, across all spectrums of the job market, from engineering and technology to vocational work and more, so our focus for the workforce development is to create a community that’s workforce ready,” Valencia said.
BGCD has so far raised more than $14 million of its $18 million campaign goal.
Valencia said construction of the new building, which will be built on the same West Stewart Street site, will likely start within the next 12 months.
In the meantime, BGCD is operating from a temporary location at Wogaman Middle School, at 920 McArthur Ave.
Youth of the Year
Prior to Thursday evening’s fundraising auction, organizers recognized 18-year-old Ke’mya Lam of Dayton, who was named Youth of the Year by the Ohio Alliance of Boys & Girls Club.
Lam faced off against five other Ohio teens, including Megan Oliver of Fairborn and Demarion Samples-Jackson of Hamilton.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
Lam started attending the Dayton Boys & Girls Club with her younger sibling about four years ago. She later applied for a job at the club through YouthWorks.
Lam graduated from Stebbins High School and currently attends Grand Canyon University in Arizona where she studies nursing.
Lam said her experiences with BGCD helped shape her dream of becoming a nurse.
“I want to use my passion for helping others and nursing to break generational curses and provide my future family with a greater amount of resources than I had growing up,” she said.
Fireside Chat
WNBA players for the Indiana Fever Kelsey Mitchell and Sophie Cunningham participated in a “Fireside Chat” to wrap up Thursday’s event.
The teammates spoke about how hard work, perseverance and leadership has played a role in their lives both on and off the court.
Mitchell shared how experiencing losses early in her basketball career prepared her for future success.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
“I had to understand adversity first before the good part,” she said. “It was tough, but it served as a type of fuel for me, and I started to learn how to be a winner through the hard stuff.”
Cunningham, who is known for her fierce defense of Fever teammate Caitlin Clark — most notably by tackling another player who had fouled Clark in an incident that went viral on social media — said her passion is what has fueled her success.
“... That intensity and that fire; that’s what makes you feel alive and that’s what I love,” Cunningham said. “... When I’m on the court with my sisters, I’ll do anything it takes to win the basketball game, but also to protect them.”
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
Cunningham also highlighted the importance of loving what you do.
“While we’re out there sweating, you’ll also see a lot of laughs and smiles because, at the end of the day, we’re grateful that we get to dribble a basketball for a living, so why would you not go have some fun out there?” she said.
Boys & Girls Club Dayton
BGCD currently serves around 200 children, though President Crystal Allen said previously the nonprofit expects to double the number of youth and teens it serves when the new facility opens.
Boys & Girls Club does not charge for membership, and the organization serves young people from all over, though most members live in West Dayton.
Along with after-school and summer services, BGCD offers programming centered around fostering academic success, health and well-being, character and leadership building, and life and workforce readiness.
“At Boys & Girls Club, we’re creating pathways for our young people to get to be what they say they want to be,” Allen said.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
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