By Hanna Singh
The Boys and Girls Clubs of North Louisiana participated in the nationwide celebration of Boys and Girls Club Week with a variety of fun-filled activities each day. From career days to pool parties, the youth engaged in exciting events that promoted wellness, physical health and positive impacts.
Since 1941, National Boys and Girls Club Week has celebrated the dedicated services the clubs provide to local communities, guiding youth toward great futures. This year’s BGC Week theme was “Level Up,” encouraging kids to engage in their clubs, explore future opportunities and celebrate the positive impact BGC has had in their lives.
Regional Director Vanessa Brown acknowledged the success of BGC week across the region.
“The week was amazing. The kids enjoyed every activity,” Brown said. “We are always so excited the celebrate every National BGC Week.”
Throughout the week, kids participated in a number of activities with different themes each day. On Monday, they joined a BGC walkthrough in history, learning about the Ruston club’s past. Tuesday was a “Blue Out” color party, where kids enjoyed blue snacks and wore blue shirts in honor of the BGC’s official color. Wednesday featured “Stop, Drop, and Play Day,” an exciting day focused on staying active. The kids participated in a “Stop, Drop, and Get Fit” challenge, doing random increments of exercise throughout the day and ending in a friendly competition of group exercises. Lastly, Thursday was career day, with local fire departments visiting to talk to the youth about their careers.
The week of excitement concluded on Friday at the Louisiana Tech Lambright Center with a pool party celebration. The children spent the afternoon swimming and enjoying their last day together. Unit Director Lajuan Calton praised the success of the week and expressed anticipation for the upcoming session.
“We ended the week at Tech’s Pool where all of our groups came out, ate pizza and had a good time,” said Calton. “This was a great end to our first session, and we are so excited to start our second session for the Boys and Girls Clubs next week.”
The Boys and Girls Clubs of North Louisiana provide a safe place where kids can participate in fun programs to build their skills for school, work and life. For parents the club offers a support system providing mentors, meals and life experiences for their children. You can find out more about the local Boys and Girls Club location at http://www.bgcofnl.org
