One Million Dollar Grant Given To Boys & Girls Clubs Of America

 

 

Nineteen grants will give Clubs across the country chance to repair, improve their facilities

Atlanta,  -- Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation today announced a $1 million grant award to Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA). As part of the grant award, 19 Clubs across the United States have been chosen to receive grants for repairs or improvements.

The winning Clubs were selected based on the structural needs of the facilities, the creativity of the projects and their positive impact on Club members. Club staff will work to complete the projects in the next year, in many cases using Lowe's employees as volunteers.

Boys & Girls Clubs of America strives to enable all young people to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens by providing a safe place for them to learn and grow.

"Boys & Girls Clubs are safe places to learn and grow - all while having fun," said Roxanne Spillett, President and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of America. "Thanks to this grant from Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation, 19 of our Clubs will improve their facilities to meet the challenge of serving more youth. From teen centers and playgrounds, to music studios and fitness stations, these projects reflect the wide range of programs Clubs offer our members."

"We are excited to partner with Boys & Girls Clubs of America on these projects across the country," said Larry D. Stone, chairman of the Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation. "We will be helping children have a safe, inspiring place to go, therefore building a stronger foundation for our future employees and customers."

The grant recipients are:

Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta ($50,000) - Renovations to the DeKalb County Unit

Salvation Army Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Charlotte, N.C. ($50,000) - Basketball court renovation

Boys & Girls Clubs of Lake and Sumter Counties, Fla. ($50,000) - Playground and fitness stations

Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee (Nashville) ($50,000) - Multimedia Center Creation

West End House Boys & Girls Club of Allston-Brighton, Mass. ($50,000) - Teen Music Center

Union League Boys & Girls Club (Chicago) ($46,300) - Creation of Club One Play Lot

Boys & Girls Club of Hancock County, Ind. ($50,000) - Basic Club renovations

Boys & Girls Club of Greater Cincinnati ($25,000) - Teen Center & Recording Studio Creation

Boys & Girls Club of the Twin Cities (Minneapolis) ($45,000) - Security improvements

Boys & Girls Club of Greater Fort Worth, Texas ($50,000) - Teen Room renovations

Boys & Girls Club of Metropolitan Phoenix ($50,000) - Teen Center renovation

Boys & Girls Club of Tucson, AZ ($50,000) - Locker room renovation

Boys & Girls Club of Southwest County (Temecula), Calif. ($50,000) - Septic system replacement

Boys & Girls Club of Thurston County, Wash. ($50,000) - Park renovation

Boys & Girls Club of Manteca, Calif. ($40,000) - Improving four Club areas

Watts-Willowbrook Boys & Girls Club (Los Angeles) ($42,000) - Interior renovations

Challengers Boys & Girls Club (Los Angeles) ($50,000) - Safety and Security improvements

Salesian Boys & Girls Club (Los Angeles) ($50,000) - Interior and exterior Club renovations

Boys & Girls Club of Southeastern Michigan (Detroit) ($50,000) - Interior renovations and waterproofing

About Boys & Girls Clubs of America

For more than 100 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (www.bgca.org) has helped kids BE GREAT, providing hope and opportunity to youth who need it most. Today, some 4,300 Clubs serve some 4.5 million young people through Club membership and community outreach. Boys & Girls Clubs can be found throughout the country and on U.S. military bases worldwide, providing young people 6-18 years old with guidance-oriented character development programs conducted by trained, professional staff. Clubs positively impact lives and help young people reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Key programs emphasize leadership development; education and career exploration; community service; technology training; financial literacy; health and life skills; the arts; sports, fitness and recreation; and family outreach. In a recent Harris Survey of Club alumni, 57 percent said the Club saved their lives. National headquarters are located in Atlanta.

About Lowe's

Lowe's is a proud supporter of Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Habitat for Humanity International, American Red Cross, United Way of America, and the Home Safety Council, in addition to numerous non-profit organizations and programs that help communities across the country. In 2008, Lowe's and the Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation together contributed more than $25 million to support community and education projects in the United States and Canada. Lowe's also encourages volunteerism through the Lowe's Heroes program, a company-wide employee volunteer initiative. Lowe's is a FORTUNE(R) 50 company with fiscal year 2008 sales of $48.2 billion and has more than 1,700 stores in the United States and Canada. For more information, visit Lowes.com/community.

SOURCE Boys & Girls Clubs of America