So the school day has come to an end. Where is a grade school kid supposed to go? Mom or Dad may not be home from work for a couple more hours. Well, there’s the After School Program at the Martha’s Vineyard Boys & Girls Club. With almost 300 members, the Club has been helping Island children for 75 years.
I know many of you are familiar with the Club, but did you know that parents pay only $20 a year for their children to participate in the After School Program? I think that’s an amazing price to pay to have your kids in a safe, fun place after school. That’s less than four fancy large lattes.
However, it costs the Club over $250,000 to run the program, and only $6-7,000 of the funding comes from its members. The rest is made up from donations and grants.
Aside from basketball, air hockey, and art, there’s a lot more happening at the Club after school. Don’t forget the Power Hour they have for kids. An hour where kids can get their homework done with the help of a certified teacher.
Meet Aiden Smith, who is 10-years-old. He was busy working on math which can sometimes be a little tough. However, teacher Kris McCabe was there to help out with a tricky problem. Aiden thinks that is cool, and he also thinks the Club is cool.
Aside from getting help with his homework, Aiden gets to hang out with his best buddy Taylor Blair and his other friends, and gets to play in the gym. Taylor agrees with Aiden, and said the Club is “Pretty Boss.” I learned that’s 10-year-old-speak for awesome.
Amber Cuthbert, who is 9-years-old, was also there working on her homework, spelling to be exact. The toughest word she had to learn was proofread, but she knows she can do it. She loves the Club because she gets to finish her homework, play with friends, go outside, and play lots of games. Speaking of games, some of the kids were playing Bingo when I was there – too cute!
Kris McCabe supervises the Power Hour. He is a certified teacher who is currently a substitute teacher working in all the Island schools. He likes helping the kids at the Club because he has the opportunity to work with kids one-on-one.
When I was there, Kris was checking over Maria Menezes’ homework. Maria is quite smart, but sometimes Kris can find a little something to improve on. Maria likes that Kris will help her work through the problem, and help her find the right answer. She can understand why it was wrong, and that’s helpful.
Of course, Maria also likes hanging out with her friends at the Boys & Girls Club. For her, it is a great way to spend time after school.
Maria, Amber, Aiden, Taylor , and Kris are five more of the many reasons why the Martha’s Vineyard Boys & Girls Cub is such an important part of our community, and why we need your support at the Teddy Bear Suite. Let’s work together to help raise some of the money needed to bridge that $243,000 gap for the After School Program.
There are two ways to contribute this year. Join us at The Teddy Bear Suite at the Harbor View Hotel, where we will also have some interesting raffle items, or join us online. Point B Realty will contribute 50-cents for every dollar donated online up to $5,000. Click here to donate your tax-deductible contribution.
Teddy Bear Suite Hours
- Friday, December 7th, 4 – 8 p.m.
- Saturday, December 8th, 12 – 6 p.m. (Keep an eye out for us at the Christmas in Edgartown Parade, we’ll be next to the Boys & Girls Club float!)
- Sunday, December 9th, 10 – 4 p.m.
If you are unable to attend the event, but would like to make a donation to the Martha’s Vineyard Boys & Girls Club After School Program, please click here.Thanks for reading On Point – Don’t forget to “Like” us on Facebook, on follow us on Twitter, Linked In, Pinterest and YouTube. See you this weekend!
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