How the Zionsville Boys and Girls Club is teaching kids how to be healthy, active members of the community.
By Abby Walton
For the past three years, Samantha Cunningham has been going to the Boys and Girls Club of Zionsville. She and her little brother, Mitch, participate in Club East’s after school care until their mother, Sheryl, is done with work.
“It’s a great environment that allows the kids to stay active through sports and within their own community,” Sheryl said. Now 12 years old, Samantha isn’t just a member of the club. She’s becoming a junior staff member. This role is given to a young person who’s shown leadership and responsibility within the club.
“I really like helping out the younger kids,” Samantha said. And she’s not the only one. According to Jon Weed, the club’s board president, the number of middle school kids attending the club is around 40 per day.
“We’re retaining them after they’ve moved on from elementary school. I think that’s because of our commitment to great staff and programs,” he said.
According to the club’s executive director, Tim Fretz, all of the club’s programs are based on three principles.
“Every program tries to meet our goals of academic success, health and civic engagement,” he said. While the Boys and Girls Club has many sports opportunities for kids, it also has programs geared toward becoming an active member of the community. One such program is called Torch Club. It’s open to club members ages 10 to 13. The club works on service projects and fundraisers.
“Right now, we’re working on care packages for kids with cancer,” said Samantha, a member of Torch Club. Last year, the club helped with a canned food drive and even hosted a dinner to thank the community’s police and fire departments.
“I like it because we get to help the community and I get to spend time with my friends,” Samantha said.
It’s this connection with friends and participating in activities that makes the local clubs such a big part of the Zionsville community.
“Some people may ask why we need the Boys and Girls Club in Zionsville. I tell them we may not have the same issues that clubs in inner cities have, but the reality is we still have issues. If kids aren’t given a structured, safe environment to go to after school or until their parents are done with work, who knows what kinds of things they could get into,” Weed said. When Weed joined the club’s board seven years ago, membership numbers were dwindling and its financial situation looked bleak. Now the clubs are serving more than 2,000 young people every year between the ages of 5 and 18. A membership costs $50 per year, making it an affordable program for many families. However, one of the best parts about the Boys and Girls club is that it never turns a child away.
“If a family can’t pay, we try to help out through scholarships,” Fretz said, adding that it’s fundraisers like the upcoming Oktoberfest that help keep the club’s prices low.
“It’s hard for me to imagine not having the Boys and Girls Club in our community. I just think the lives of our children and community members would be totally different,” Weed said.
Members like Samantha agree.
“I just love it because it’s fun, you get to make friends and try out new things,” she said. And who knows, with the large number of kids passing through its doors every day, staff members at Club East and West could very easily be fostering the passions of a future world leader, doctor, athlete or even the next mayor of Zionsville.
Boys and Girls Club of Zionsville
Two Locations:
Club East
1575 Mulberry St.
Unit director, Glenn Sanford
873-6670
Club West-Anson
5964 S. 700 E., Whitestown
Unit director, Sarah Webler
769-2222
Hours of Operation during School:
Monday through Friday
2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Cost is $50 for basic membership for kids ages 5 to 18
Oktoberfest Fundraiser for Boys and Girls Club of Zionsville
6:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.
October 12
Cardinal Room at the Golf Club of Indiana
6905 S. 525 E., Lebanon
$75 per ticket before Oct. 1, $85 per ticket after Oct. 1
Authentic German food, music and four free beer coupons
Live auction at 9 p.m.
Purchase tickets by calling either club or go to www.bagcoz.org
Largest fundraiser of the year with all proceeds going toward the clubs kids and programs.
