The Boys & Girls Clubs of Chattanooga (BGCC) will celebrate the grand opening of its new 18,000 sq./ft. unit in Highland Park with a ribbon cutting on Sept. 18, at 11 a.m. The new building will be capable of serving more than 900 boys and girls, offering kids between the ages of six and eighteen a positive, safe and fun environment to enjoy.
The Highland Park facility is being dedicated to BGCC President, Michael Cranford, in honor of his nearly 40 years of service. As president of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Chattanooga, Mr. Cranford has been recognized nationally for his work in shaping the lives of Chattanooga’s youth. Mr. Cranford was awarded the 2008 Thomas G. Garth Character and Courage Award – the highest honor the organization can bestow on a Club professional.
A plaque honoring Mr. Cranford’s dedication to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Chattanooga will be hung in the entrance of the new building during the grand opening ceremony, which will be attended by Roxanne Spillett, president and CEO of Boys & Girls Club of America.
The building will give kids access to social, cultural and physical education classes. Thanks to a $50,000 grant from UNUM, computer classes will be provided at a state-of-the-art technology lab to help kids bridge the digital divide and prepare for the future. Kids will also be able to participate in a highly successful homework assistance program called Power Hour, which has been supported by a $25,000 grant from Charity Projects Entertainment Fund (CPEF) and American Idol’s charity effort, Idol Gives Back.
“To make a difference in the life of a child, BGCC established the Buy a Brick – Build a Life program,” said Mr. Cranford. “This program was created to help us continue building the lives of all children, especially those from lower income families, by providing a positive, safe and fun environment where kids can realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens.”
For more information about the dedication ceremony, or to learn how you can give to the Brick Program, call 423 266-6131 or visit www.bgccha.org.
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