Boys & Girls Club at the Champions Ranch

The best way to predict the future is to create it. At the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Big Bend (BGCBB), we are creating a new and brighter future for thousands of young people. BGCBB is a comprehensive youth service organization operating in Tallahassee, FL and its surrounding communities. We help young people ages 6-18 to reach their full potential through a program of youth development that emphasizes career and academic preparedness, healthy lifestyles, and character and good citizenship. We have 11 Clubs throughout our service area and are open each weekday after school from 3:00P.M – 6: 30P.M and for extended hours during the summer. Our membership is approximately 2,551 strong and each day ~ 550 kids come to one of our Club locations. Membership is open to all young people and costs only $10.00 per child per year.

We are part of a national organization, the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, which operates more than 5,000 Clubs worldwide. For 18 years, the Chronicle of Philanthropy has ranked the Boys & Girls Clubs of America as #1 among youth serving organizations. While they are at the Club, our members are provided with a broad range of activities and services including homework help, mentoring, sports and recreation programs, arts programs, access to computer technology, service and leadership clubs, and so much more.

Our vision is to provide a state-of-the-art, stand-alone facility that will serve over 7,000 youth annually from across the Big Bend. A place where they can grow in mind, body, and character through education, athletics, the arts, mentorship, workforce readiness, and mental wellness. This will be the first facility of its kind in our region and it’s long overdue.

The Need

• 54,931 Children (Under 18) in Leon County
  
  
• Nearly 43% of Leon County Households with children are single parent households
  
  
• The average cost of after school care is approximately $2,170.00 per month
  
  

Fred joined the Club when he was just six years old. His mom needed a safe and positive place for him to go after school, a place where he could learn, laugh, and just be a kid. At the Boys & Girls Club, Fred found more than after-school care; he found a second home, a family, and a community that believed in him.

But tragedy struck when the Greg McCray Memorial Boys & Girls Club was forced to close its doors. On the day of the announcement, Fred looked at his director with tears in his eyes and asked, “Where will I go now after school?”

Without the safety and structure of the Club, Fred faced the harsh reality many youth encounter when left without guidance or supervision. He fell into the “danger zone” the critical hours after school when kids are most vulnerable to poor choices, risky behavior, and negative influences.

Fred’s story isn’t unique. It’s a reminder of what’s at stake when young people lose access to safe, structured spaces that nurture their potential. It’s also why the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Big Bend is determined to build a new, state-of-the-art Club, so no child in Tallahassee ever has to ask, “Where will I go now?”

Fred’s story shines a light on the urgent need for safe, structured, and inspiring spaces for Tallahassee’s youth. No child should have to wonder where they’ll go after school, or face the dangers that come when there’s nowhere safe to turn.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Big Bend is committed to ensuring that every child, like Fred, has access to a state-of-the-art Club designed to meet the needs of today’s youth and families. This new facility will be more than just a building, it will be a hub of opportunity, safety, and growth that transforms lives across Tallahassee.

When you make an investment in the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Big Bend, you change the future for thousands of young people like Fred. Kids who would not graduate without the academic support provided to them. Kids who would go hungry without the nightly meal served to them. Kids who want – and who deserve – a great future.

The total project cost of Boys & Girls Club at the Champions Ranch is 6 million Dollars. We seek your investment to help us provide these services and the positive impacts they accrue. Please consider joining us as a catalyst for community change with your thoughtful investment in youth. Your gift to the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Big Bend makes our work possible.

For more than 30 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Big Bend has played a critical role in the lives of young people. We know that trusted, caring adults and a safe place to go after school can transform a child’s life. Through a combination of careful financial stewardship, passionate staff and volunteers and a compelling mission, the Clubs have generated the resources to serve more and more kids in an ever-changing landscape. Both board and staff are fully committed to raising the funds necessary to change the future for our members. Every child deserves a great future – with a safe place to go and the support to successfully progress through school and graduate with a viable plan. With your support, this is not a possibility, but a certainty.