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In November, we are celebrating 20 years of serving youth at the Boys & Girls Club of the Bemidji Area! The organization was established, and the first kids were welcomed to the Club on November 17, 2003. At our first location at the corner of 15th and Delton, we operated for a little over a year before eventually moving to our current location in 2005. After 20 successful years, I am overjoyed to share that we are expanding our Club footprint to a second location! See more details below about our new Club site at J.W. Smith Elementary, opened in collaboration with Bemidji Area Schools.
In addition to our exciting news, it’s been a busy and fun time at the Club. Summer programs were jam-packed with learning and adventure. View the slideshow below to see more.
This year, our harvest yield is bigger than ever before! See all the details under the Harvest Report.
I want you to get involved too! Join us as a weekly volunteer and see our mission in action, and celebrate with us at Pint Night in November and our Annual Gala in February. Please save the dates and join us! More details are below. Thanks to everyone who supported our Club kids at the 19th Annual Golf Championship, including our golfers and all our sponsors. Check out the videos posted below.
It is my great privilege to serve this community and our Club families. Thank you for lifting up our Club mission and for providing your support to the children of our community. We couldn’t do it without you!
In service to youth,
Andrea Kent
Executive Director
Boys & Girls Club expanded programs at J.W. Smith Elementary this fall
“We are thrilled to collaborate with our school district to serve students who need us most. We have dreamed of expanding our Club services to another site in our community, and are excited to realize that dream this fall,” shares Andrea Kent, Boys & Girls Club executive director.
The Bemidji Area Schools and the Boys & Girls Club of the Bemidji Area co-applied and secured a 21st Century Community Learning Center grant. The Club expanded its services to a school-based site at J.W. Smith Elementary School for students in grades K-3.
While we are running at a new site, our mission and goals still remain the same as they’ve always been. Serving those who need us most by offering educational enrichment, building positive relationships, and in the end, making a positive impact for these students. We are excited to extend our programs, and for the first time in our history have two sites to serve youth who need us most.
“We are asking our ‘Tikes’ to get out of their comfort zone, whether it’s participating in core programs from our Boys & Girls Club of America such as STEM or social-emotional learning, or it’s students diving deep into their academics, whatever it is, we ask that they’re just working hard and trying their best,” said McKenna Rohe, 21st Century Coordinator.
Bemidji Brewing is hosting the Boys & Girls Club at Community Pint Night on November 8th, with $1 from every beverage, including non-alcoholic drinks, served onsite, donated to the Club. Join us for fun and games!
We are so grateful for the support & participation in our 19th Annual Golf Fore Club Kids!
Special thank you to our Event sponsor, Bob Lowth Ford, Masters sponsor, Mark Sand & Gravel, and Driving Range sponsor, First National Bank of Bemidji! Plus, all our Ace, Eagle, Birdie, Green and Hole sponsors. Thanks also to the many volunteers and golf committee members who planned this event. YOU made this tournament possible! For the 19th consecutive year, Russ Moen chaired the Golf Committee, who led to this record-breaking total. With just under 100 golfers, over an astounding $60,000 was raised to support year-round programs for hundreds of youth at the Club. Thank you!
Winning the tournament for the first time were Jackson (age 11) & Mike Fogelson, son & father team. “To have Jackson, at such a young age, earn 1st place, while supporting our programming for Club kids – that is a win-win in our hometown community!” said Andrea Kent, Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Club. Congratulations also to our 2nd place team, Gary Rients & Bruce Nord, and 3rd place team, Heather Tverstol & Emily Aitken!
