December 22nd, 2009 by admin
 Maddy Eerkes hands Boys & Girls Club President Greg Falk an envelope with nearly $100 her and friend raised while caring for horses in Kennewick. 9-year-old Maddy and her friend Taylor, both of Kennewick, made a donation of almost $100 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton and Franklin Counties to help kids just like them have a safe and positive place to go after school.
Maddy and Taylor have been spending their after school time caring for two horses. Work includes cleaning stalls, brushing and feeding the animals six days a week. They have been working hard for two months and receive $20 every two weeks for their efforts. In lieu of keeping the money, Maddy and Taylor decided to donate their earnings to a charity. The girls are working hard to learn the responsibility that comes with caring for a horse. Their actions are exactly what the Boys & Girls Club strives to teach in young people. With help from the leadership and philanthropy that Maddy and Taylor have shown, the Boys & Girls Club can help more young people become productive, caring and responsible citizens.
Their donation will go toward purchasing additional art supplies for the newly renovated art room at the Main Branch in Pasco.
Maddy is the daughter of Chris and Sarah Eerkes, and eldest granddaughter of Craig and Marilee Eerkes. The family is the namesake for the highly anticipated and deeply impactful Eerkes Memorial Golf Classic for Kids in August. The Boys & Girls Club is extremely grateful for the generosity that has been shared by three generations of Eerkes.
For information about the golf tournament and auction, visit our special events page.
Tags: blog, donation, news
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November 12th, 2009 by Greg Falk
By: JONATHAN HOROWITZ
For the Orange County Register
Story Highlights
Tips include focusing on the process and keeping your cool as you help kids who are struggling in school.
One of a parent’s worst nightmares comes to life when a child asks a tough question about their homework that they are unable to answer.
With the 2009-10 school year under way in Orange County, parents need to arm themselves with the right tools to effectively tackle the often daunting task of successfully supporting their child’s education needs — especially when it comes to homework. Read the rest of this entry »
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August 10th, 2009 by Lynn Owens
This is the first in what I hope will be a long series of posts that I hope will help parents and educators help kids learn about and use technology. I’ll review software, websites, and provide plans and projects you can use at home to help your children grow to be responsible, caring and productive adults.
My kids love video games. I hate for them to spend too much time on them. Now there is a game that makes us both happy — World of Goo. Kids love it because it looks great, has amazing gameplay, fun music and immediate rewards. I love it because it teaches some great skills along the way (shh….don’t tell the kids).
 Players use goo balls to build structures to achieve the level's goal. The main objective of the game is to get a requisite number of goo balls to a pipe representing the exit. In order to do so, the player must use the goo balls to construct bridges, towers, and other structures to overcome gravity and various terrain difficulties such as chasms, hills, spikes, or cliffs. There are several types of goo balls in the game, each of which has unique properties. The player must exploit combinations of these goo balls in order to complete each level. Extra goos recovered in the pipe are pumped through to the World of Goo Corporation, a sandbox area where the objective is to compete with other players worldwide by building the tallest tower possible. [from wikipedia]
Each level is a puzzle that will engage your child to use critical thinking to achieve the goal. While using their problem solving skills they’ll be doing some hands on exploring of engineering and physics.
World of Goo is available for the Mac, Windows, Linux and the Wii. You can get a free demo to try it out. If you like it it only costs $20 USD to buy. It is appropriate for kids 10 and up, but be warned, you’ll likely be competing with your kids over whose turn it is to play.
Tags: Club Tech, software review, world of goo
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July 21st, 2009 by Lynn Owens
 Ten members from the Bobbie Littrell Branch Teen Center are participating in a new Fishing Club this summer. Griggs Department Store very graciously agreed to provide the rod and reel combinations as well as the tackle needed for this program to launch. The Fishing Club provides Boys & Girls Club members with the opportunity to experience an outdoor activity that they otherwise may not have the chance to participate in. Each teen is paired with a mentor through the Club Mentor Program. The mentors are positive adult role models from area businesses who have a deep interest in making a difference in a child’s life. The first session took place on July 1st and the next sessions are scheduled for July 29th, August 26th and September 23rd. Mentees and mentors are hooked and are looking forward to the next session. Thank you Griggs Department Store!
Tags: Club Mentor, fishing, griggs
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July 16th, 2009 by Jessica Hoefer
 Boys & Girls Club kids will soon be the proud owners of a Caring Corners Mrs. Goodbee dollhouse, which engages children with more than 400 playful activities, songs, words and sounds. As children create, explore and use their imaginations, Mrs. Goodbee comes to life to model and reinforce positive social and emotional skills.
Goodwill Industries representatives will deliver the dollhouse at 2 pm, Wednesday July 15th, to the Boys & Girls Club’s Main Branch at 801 N. 18th Avenue in Pasco.
Goodwill Industries provides job training and support programs that benefit thousands each year. In addition, the local agency works closely with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton and Franklin Counties to provide new or gently used toys, furniture and career clothes for teen members hoping to enter the job world.
The Caring Corners dollhouse is a great fit for the Boys & Girls Club mission to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to become productive, caring and responsible citizens. The dollhouse is for youth ages 3 and older and helps support caring, sharing and preparing young people for real responsibilities.
Tags: dollhouse, donation, goodwill
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July 15th, 2009 by Lynn Owens
 Over 200 members from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton & Franklin Counties ventured out to take advantage of the Free Family Film Festival offered by Regal Entertainment Group. On July 7th and 8th, over popcorn and drinks, they viewed “Horton Hears a Who” at Regal Columbia Mall 8 and will continue to view a few other movies over the course of the summer. The Free Family Film Festival is a great way to keep our communities kids entertained. Thank you Regal Entertainment Group for your generosity!
Tags: regal, summer
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July 15th, 2009 by Jessica Hoefer
 Eleven-year-old Kierstyn Ramos of Pasco has been selected to serve on the Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s Youth Advisory Board for the 2009-2010 school year.
Ramos, who is an active member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton and Franklin Counties and was also recently recognized as the 2009 elementary-age Youth of the Year, will now travel to Little Rock, Arkansas, and Washington D.C. with 24 other youth board members.
Ramos will fly out for the first of two in-person board meetings on Wednesday, July 15th, from the Tri-Cities airport at 11:15 a.m. The second meeting takes place in January 2010. All expenses are paid by the alliance for the members and one parent or guardian.
As a board member, Ramos will also join monthly conference calls to take care of business and serve as an ambassador of the Alliance for Healthier Generation in the media, at meetings, conferences and in her community. She will also provide feedback on the healthier kids movement and campaign and lead a service-based community project related to health in the Tri-Cities area.
Since 2005, the Alliance has been working to create an on-air, online and grassroots movement to reach millions of kids with “cool” messages about healthy living. The goal is to battle childhood obesity, increase physical activity in youth and empower young people to make an impact on their peers and communities.
More than 400 applicants, who range in age from 8 to 17, applied for board positions.
For more information visit: http://www.healthiergeneration.org
Tags: board, health, ramos
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June 22nd, 2009 by Jessica Hoefer
 A whopping $10,118 was raised during a holiday fundraiser put on by Taco Bell franchisees organizations, with 100% of the proceeds going to reduce gang activity and provide safe after school programs for teens at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton and Franklin Counties.
The Pasco Police Department credits the Boys & Girls Club’s Teen Center with helping to reduce the number of juvenile crimes in the area, as well as graffiti and gang activity. Studies have shown that teens are most susceptible to peer pressure and crime during the hours between 3 and 8 pm. Providing juveniles with a safe and positive place to go is instrumental in changing behavior and subsequently changing the lives of youth.
Thanks to Taco Bell franchisee supporters at the Columbia Bells, CLC Restaurants, Pacific Bells and Harman Management—which are located in Yakima and the Tri-Cities—your local Boys & Girls Club will be able to serve more teens and provide fun activities and programs that help shape teens into productive, caring and responsible citizens.
More than 90% of the Club’s teen members, who range in age from 12-18, are from low-income households. It is not unusual for youth members to have parents who did not graduate from college or even high school. Read the rest of this entry »
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June 15th, 2009 by Jessica Hoefer
 The Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton and Franklin Counties has been awarded a $12,000 grant from the Wal-Mart Foundation to participate in the Summer Servings Food Program. This generous donation will provide 300 summer camp members at the Benton City, Kennewick and Pasco Main Branch and Teen Center sites with thousands of meals and snacks.
Boys & Girls Clubs strive to provide a safe and positive place for youth with programs and activities that are fun and unique. The primary focus is to help kids become productive, caring and responsible citizens through our 5 core programs. One of those programs is Health & Life Skills, where youth ages 5-18 learn to achieve healthy, active lifestyles.
The grant from the Wal-Mart Foundation will allow the Club to serve youth from across the Tri-Cities for summer camp which is offered the week of June 15th through August 21st.
Summer Day Camp is available for 5-12 year olds. Activities at the Main Branch include a 25-station computer lab, full-size gym, game room with pool tables, foosball, ping pong and air hockey, art studio, music room, field trips and more!
A Kids Café and kitchen allow for proper preparation and handling of snacks and meals, which are USDA approved.
Youth ages 13-18 are able to attend our summer Teen Center program, located at 333 W. Court Street in Pasco. Teen Center transportation arrangements are supported by Ben Franklin Transit.
Tags: grant, summer, walmart
Posted in Main Branch, Music & Arts, Teen Center | No Comments »
May 26th, 2009 by Stacy Bellomy
On Friday May 22nd 2009, eight members of the Boys & Girls Club Main Branch were taken on a tour of Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington. The members have been yearlong participants of the Power Hour Program and have worked hard this year to keep their grades up and be successful in school. The kids were give a guided tour of Whitman College and were able to have any and all questions about college answered by their own personal tour guide.
After the tour of Whitman College the members were taken to Whitman Mission where they were able to walk through some of Washington’s history. Not only did they learn a lot but they had a great time walking around the old mission and listening to the tales of the Whitman’s and their struggles!
Tags: boys and girls club, power hour, whitman college, whitman mission
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