JAMS Clubhouse
Friday, September 12, 2008 at 12:01AM
Fabian Lewkowicz in Santa Monica Boys and Girls Club, Santa Monica Police Department




(1) Allan Young, President and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica welcomes guests during the groundbreaking ceremony  in honor of the new Clubhouse at John Adams Middle School on September 11, 2008.  "This is a historic day for Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica, as we begin work on the second largest facility on the Westside," said Allan Young,  "As someone who grew up in Boys & Girls Clubs, I know the value this Clubhouse will have on its members and their families -- providing a safe environment for kids to learn in, have fun in and grow in." (2) Shoveling left to right: Tim Cuneo, Intern Superintendent of Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District; Timothy J. Jackman, Chief of the Santa Monica Police Department; Allan Young, President and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica; Craig Mordoh, Chairman of the Board of Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica and Dr. William Crookston, Past President, Rotary Club, shovel dirt during the groundbreaking ceremony at John Adams Middle School. With an anticipated completion date of June 2009, the Clubhouse continues Boys & Girls Clubs 64-year tradition of enabling all young people, especially those who need help the most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens. Currently Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica operates a satellite afterschool program at John Adams Middle School; however the new Clubhouse will enable the program to expand from one small classroom serving approximately 300 children annually to a 5,563 square foot facility equipped to support all of the school's 1,100 students. The Clubhouse will provide services to students six days a week, 12 months a year -- before and after school, during lunch and during vacation and summer holidays. Members will flourish academically and socially as they participate in nationally-renowned programs in the following areas: the arts, athletics, drug/alcohol and pregnancy prevention, education, the environment, leadership development, career preparation, social recreation and technology. The Club was founded in 1946 and since that time approximately 150,000 local youth have benefited. Today there are approximately 7,000 young people involved in Club programs. They come from all over Los Angeles County, largely from Santa Monica, Venice, West Los Angeles and Inglewood. Members pay a $10 annual fee for access to all Club amenities and programs that span across education, leadership, recreation and more.  Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica operates with the objective to serve children from all backgrounds, regardless of economic circumstances -- ensuring that youth ages 7-18 have a safe and nurturing environment to develop socially, succeed in school, stay physically active and prepare for positive futures. To learn more, please visit http://www.smbgc.org.
Article originally appeared on Santa Monica Close-up (http://www.santamonicacloseup.net/).
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