Membership has its privileges: Kids enjoy first day at Boys & Girls Club!
BY Erick Peterson · September 08, 2010

         On Aug. 31, kids zigzagged around community leaders in an effort to enter the newly opened Boys and Girls Club. Blissfully unaware of the effort that these individuals put into giving them the club, children dashed right into the club building and headed straight for the fun.

And there was plenty of fun to be had in the Boys and Girls Club building on that first day.

Many of the first children into the building scampered directly into the games room to check out the ping pong table, air hockey table and other equipment located inside.

         Then when they realized that snacks were waiting for them in another room, many of these kids rushed over to the goodies and started devouring them.

As the afternoon wore on, the children moved from activity to activity, eating, playing games and even doing homework.

In total, 75 children attended the club on the first day of operations.

Ron McHenry, Prosser Boys and Girls Club executive director, said that he was emotional when he saw the kids enjoying themselves right away. Many of the children were wearing club t-shirts when they arrived, and they all responded positively to the club immediately after arriving.

      McHenry said that he cried when seeing this initial success on the first day. Even when talking about it days later, he choked up.

“Their excitement really validated the hard work that a lot of people put into this,” he said.

According to McHenry, the club was possible because of several dedicated individuals. Two of the people that deserve thanks are City Administrator Charlie Bush and Mayor Paul Warden, who rounded up support. Board President Bill Jenkin, who provided leadership and a large financial gift that helped attract other donations, and Cathleen Koch were two other people who were essential in making this club possible.

“There were many others. It’s hard to single out a few,” McHenry said.

And because of the hard work from several people, the club surpassed its goal of attracting 100 children.

Future goals include obtaining additional space to serve all these children now and in the future.

Right now, the club is only available for kids up to the fifth grade.

               “It’s disappointing to meet kids that are in the fifth grade and know that they won’t have anything to go on to. Ideally, if we could increase our budget, we could add a tween center or a teen center,” he said.

               In order to expand, the Boys & Girls Club would need additional space. McHenry said that they could open a new center in a building as small as a vacant downtown store.