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From left, St. Cloud Police Chief Doug Goerke (a Friday staple at the club), leaders-intraning E. Pujols and A. Marcano, St. Cloud Mayor Nathan Blackwell and Councilman Kolby Urban helped celebrate the city’s Boys & Girls Club’s one-year anniversary Friday. PHOTO/KEN JACKSON
Tucked away on the corner of Virginia Avenue and 10th Street, a bright blue building has become a source of joy for more than 100 children.
Friday, the St. Cloud branch of the Boys & Girls Club celebrated its first anniversary.
“It’s hard to believe it’s been a year,” said Alex Lindsay, the club’s director. “It will continue to grow. We don’t turn anybody away. Eventually, we’re going to outgrow this building. The dream is to eventually move into a bigger facility.”
The club offers activities in five core areas: character and leadership; health and wellness; arts; sports and fitness; and education. A typical afternoon starts with Power Hour, when the children complete their homework. They then rotate through the core areas.
Lindsay’s goal for 2024 is to expand programming by adding two internal clubs: Keystone Club for students ages 14-18, which will focus on academic success, career preparation and community service; and Torch Club, a leadership and service club for students ages 11-13.
A. Marcano, one of the teen leaders-in-training who’s been with the club since it opened, said, “To me, the Boys & Girls Club represents support and love. The kids are my favorite part of coming to the club. The bonds you make with them are everything!”
In addition to the afterschool program, the club holds a two-month camp in the summer.
“We’ve already started getting calls for (next) summer camp,” Lindsay said. When asked what he feels was the club’s biggest accomplishment this past year, he said, “Creating a safe, secure, positive environment for the youth through the support of staff, the youth themselves, and families.”
That accomplishment means a lot to Lindsay, who has been involved with the Boys & Girls organization since he was 6 years old. When his mother passed away when he was 11, leaders from his club in his hometown stepped in and walked alongside him.
“I can still see the three of them standing there at my front door the next morning. From that point on, for the next seven years, they did everything,” he said. “I was able to become a club member, then Local Youth of the Year, State Youth of the Year, Regional Youth of the Year, and National Youth of the Year.” And it’s because of their investment in him that Lindsay works each day to invest in the youth of St. Cloud. He spoke of the transformation he has seen in the St. Cloud club’s new Youth of the Year.
“She was very shy, kept to herself. Yet, she was ambitious, level-headed, determined,” he said. “She has opened up and become a phenomenal leader. She should receive some funding for college through the program.
“All these kids have a story, and that’s why I am where I am now. I don’t see myself retiring anytime soon. I have the best job in the world.”
