News

Club News

Steak & Burger Dinner & Auction!

We are excited to announce the details of our second annual Steak & Burger Dinner & Auction which will be held on Thursday, March 23, 2010 at Bakersville Firehall. For more information regarding sponsoring a table or purchasing tickets or an ad, please contact us at 814.445.1802 or Barbara@bgcsomersetcounty.org. Featured speaker will be Special Olympian, Loretta Claiborne.

According to Ms. Claiborne’s website, she was the middle of seven children in a poor, single-parent family. Born partially blind and mildly retarded, she was unable to walk or talk until age 4. Eventually, though, she began to run. And before she knew it, she had crossed the finish line of 25 marathons, twice placing among the top 100 women in the Boston Marathon. She's carried the torch in the International Special Olympics, has won medals in dozens of its events, and also holds the current women's record in her age group for the 5000 meters at 17 minutes.

Today, Claiborne is a celebrated athlete who was honored in 1996 with ESPN's ESPY Arthur Ashe Award for Courage. Her life is recounted in Walt Disney Productions The Loretta Claiborne Story and in the biography In Her Stride published by WorldScapes. Considering all of Claiborne's achievements, these are just small steps in her life's mission to show that persons with mental and physical disabilities are equal to those without.

Running is not the only part of Claiborne's life. She holds a black belt in karate, communicates in four languages, including sign language, and holds honorary doctorate degrees from Quinnipiac College and Villanova University, making her the first person with mental retardation known to receive such honors, according to the Special Olympics organization.

"Find an opportunity and seize it. Be the best you can be, and never let anyone doubt you." – Loretta Claiborne

Fire & Ice!

Once again the Boys & Girls Club participated in Somerset’s Fire & Ice Celebration. Our Teen Center, located at 122 North Center Avenue hosted a craft and bake sale and offered coffee and hot chocolate for visitors to warm up. On Saturday the 16^th we conducted a pool tournament sponsored by Mully’s Billiards & Game Room Gear of Johnstown. The tournament was for kids and teens ages 10-17 and drew quite a crowd to the Teen Center! Thanks, everyone, for your participation and support!

And The Winner Is...

Caitlyn Hamelinck!! What did she win? An all expense paid vacation to a premier resort in New York! How did she win? By submitting an essay entitled “Why does my family deserve a vacation?” Benchmark Hospitality partnered with Boys & Girls Clubs of America to offer amazing vacation packages all over the country to winning essay Members! All Caitlyn had to do was answer the simple question and she’s off to New York for five exciting days of relaxation and fun with her family! The prize includes any on-site activity Caitlyn’s family wants to experience and even a travel reimbursement! All essays submitted by our Members were fantastic! And the level of participation was overwhelming! Have fun Caitlyn we are very proud of you!!

Bugs, Bugs Everywhere!!

The Boys & Girls Club is embarking on a new school challenge program in cooperation with our local Kiwanis Club. It is called the BUG program which stands for Bringing Up Grades! Members of the Kiwanis Club will be stopping by the Club in January to explain the program and its many incentives! We are always looking for new ways to improve our members’ grades and are thankful to Kiwanis for this opportunity!

Youth Of The Year!!

It is time once again for the selection of the Boys & Girls Club of Somerset County to select their Youth of the Year 2010! This competition is open to all 2 year + members of our Teen Center. Youth of the Year is a very honored title with many benefits including scholarship and recognition opportunities. See any Club staff member for details and Good Luck to all applicants!

A New Look For The BGC Teen Center!!

Our Teen Center location on North Center is preparing to undergo a renovation. We will be rolling up our sleeves to create the all new BGC Café! Our Keystone Club has purchased a coffee machine that makes everything from cappuccino to mochaccino to …. yep coffee! The Center will be getting a completely new look. Of course along with the café, members will still find their old favorites like pool, air hockey, ping pong, and Wii. We will be celebrating the remodel with a grand reopening celebration….check back here for details soon to come!

An Early Christmas Present For Members of the Boys and Girls Club!!

Our members were surprised by an early Christmas present that arrived at the Club. Through the generous support of the Penelec Fund for the Future of Greater Johnstown and the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies, a Nintendo Wii was presented to the Youth Center! Along with the Wii, a sports package, Wii Fit Plus, additional remotes and a sport accessory package were also purchased. And it doesn’t stop there! Soon to come is the game Dance Dance Revolution and a complete RockBand package! The kids are having so much fun playing and getting some much needed exercise during these cold winter months when we are unable to take them outside for activities. Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

Christmas at the Club!!

The Christmas season brought much excitement to the Club this year. Our Members made ornaments and received presents from our organization including new Club t-shirts! The Staff of the Boys & Girls Club hopes everyone celebrated a very Merry Christmas and holiday season and wish everyone a safe, happy, and healthy New Year!

Thanksgiving Feast!!

Once again the Boys & Girls Club of Somerset County celebrated Thanksgiving with a Feast for their Members and their volunteers and supporters! This has become a much anticipated tradition here at the Club and is made possible by generous contributions from the community. We ask that everyone please thank the following businesses when given the chance for donating all of our delicious food! The Chuck Wagon, KFC, The Pine Grill, Giant Eagle (North Center location), Giant Eagle (Glades Pike location), Gallikers, Somerset Senior High School, Mike’s Market, and LaRue’s Meat Processing. Also the staff would like to thank Jim Mandichak and Jeanette Kosnosky for personal contributions to the Feast. Everyone had a wonderful time and we are all looking forward to next year already!

Lights on Afterschool!

On October 22^nd The Boys & Girls Club of Somerset County will be participating in the 10^th Annual Lights On Afterschool nationwide celebration of afterschool programs. We will be one of more than 7,500 sites across the nation sending the message that afterschool is key to children’s success, and that we must keep the lights on and doors open after school. Parents, media, employers, neighbors, school officials and others have been invited to help us rally support for safe, stimulating afterschool programs.

The benefits of quality afterschool programs are clear. They support working families by ensuring that children are safe and productive when the school day ends; they make our communities stronger; and give children the opportunity to grow academically and socially. We hope you can join us for this special celebration at our Youth Center from 4:00 – 5:30 October 22^nd! Come see what we offer and how we are helping the youth of our community. See you there!

Red Ribbon Week!

Our Club will be celebrating Red Ribbon week October 19^th -22^ndwith lots of activities. There will be the annual poster contest and also a visit from Ronna Yablonski of Twin Lakes to talk about the importance and meaning of Red Ribbon Week. This year’s theme is “Plant the Promise for a Drug Free Tomorrow!”

Time to Get Creative!

It is once again time for the Boys & Girls Club of America’s Club Tech Digital Arts Festival. This is a national competition that consists of four unique categories. Members can enter all or any one of the categories that include Design Tech, Photo Tech, Movie Tech, and Music Tech. Members have the opportunity to show us where their creative passions lie by entering. The theme this year is “BE CREATIVE” and members are asked to depict the great things happening within their very own Club! There will be a local winners selected and sent on to the Regional and National Festivals. So let’s get CREATIVE!!

Clowning Around at the Homecoming Parade!

On Friday September 25^th the Boys & Girls Club participated in the Somerset Homecoming Parade with the National Honor Society. Our members dressed as clowns and threw candy in the parade. They also worked with the members of the National Honor Society to create a banner to carry in the parade. A good time was had by all and the staff and the community were all impressed by the creativity of our member’s costumes!

New Year New Staff!

We have some new staff members here at the Club. Mindy French has joined our team through Americorps and will be developing some new athletic and recreation programming. Mindy is originally from Canada and was an athletic director at a Boys & Girls Club in Arizona. We are very happy to have Mindy on staff! There is also a new Program Coordinator, Johnna Oaks. Johnna is originally from the Somerset area and has a degree in Secondary Education from the University of Pittsburgh. She spent time teaching at several local school districts and Allegany College of Maryland before joining our team. All of our staff is looking forward to working with your child(ren) and helping them achieve their goals!

Welcome Back!!

Our staff is excited to be starting a new school year here at the Boys & Girls Club. We have a lot of exciting new projects and programs coming this year. Please check back here periodically for the latest news. We are looking forward to a fun-filled school year with all of our members.

Lowe's Heroes Program Benefits Boys and Girls Club
Lowe's donated manpower hours and materials to help give the Boys and Girls Club Youth Center a face lift. As part of that face lift, the Youth Center now sports an array of new colors on the walls and fixtures and new tables at which members can complete homework or participate in favorite activities.

National Police Week

National Police Week is May 10 - 16, and to commemorate the week members of the Boys and Girls Club Youth Center created a 'Thank You' poster to present to the Somerset Police Department. Membersof the Torch Club trekked to the Police Station to make the presentation. Pictured with Torch Club members are Officers Borosky and Grus.

Special Visitors to the BGC!

In April and May, the Boys and Girls Club of Somerset County welcomed two very special visitors: Somerset County Fair Queen, Shelby Baird and Pennsylvania's Junior Miss, Elissa Houk.

Miss Baird attended the Club's Youth Center on April 27^th and spoke to members about setting and achieving goals. She shared her story about her childhood dream of becoming the Fair Queen. Having entered the contest as the underdog, she spoke to the youth about her attitude toward participating in the contest and that she was going to have fun participating whether she won or lost. In addition to sharing her inspirational message, she treated the kids to Cowtails candy.

Miss Houk stopped in to see the members of the Boys and Girls Club Youth Center on May 6^th to present the Be Your Best Self program. She talked about the importance of being a responsible and healthy citizen. She ended the program by bestowing a medal on each member with the message that each should always strive to be his or her best self.

Big Winners!

Somerset's local PNC Bank branch sponsored a Stock Market game for the members of the Boys and Girls Club Teen Center. In the fall, teens chose stocks and then tracked them throughout the following months. Teens were educated about the Stock Market by Roger Stern, a member of the Boys and Girls Club Board of Directors, and Dennis Hunt, Senior Financial Consultant Vice President at PNC Bank. The goal of the game was for participants to make wise choices while playing the market in order to "make the most money." The winning participant took home a $50 gift card. The big winner was Shaina Frye, long-time Boys and Girls Club member. Congratulations, Shaina!

Boys and girls at the Club's Youth Center had a chance to earn a $50 Giant Eagle gift card by participating in a Fundraiser for the BGC Torch Club. In partnership with Schwan's, the Youth Center members took pre-orders for Schwan's frozen foods. Then, on May 6th, Schwan's driver, Dan Constantine, brought his truck to the Boys and Girls Club to hold a truckload sale. Special thanks are in order for the Somerset Police Department, which allowed the Club to park the Schwan's truck in their parking lot.

The top seller was Nick Diehl; in addition to winning the $50 gift card, Nick also received a messenger bag emblazoned with the Torch Club logo. The Torch Club is a leadership club within the larger Boys and Girls Club organization. Members are ages 11-13, and they participate in leadership and character-building activities.

Volunteer Recognition

We are so thankful for our volunteers! On Wednesday, May 27^th, we will honor our volunteers for all they have given us. Current volunteers mark your calendars, and plan to join us for the festivities. Future volunteers, there is still time to get involved. Visit our 'How You Can Help' link to find out how.

BGC Penny Carnival

On Wednesday, June 3^rd, Boys and Girls Club members will be kicking off summer with a Penny Carnival. Save the date, and watch this space for more details!

Boys and Girls Club Summer Program Is on the Calendar!

Mark your calendars! The Boys and Girls Club Summer program will be taking place from Monday, June 8^th through Friday, Jul 3^rd. Club hours for the summer are 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Activities will be provided at the Youth Center Tuesday through Friday for members ages 6 through sixth grade. The Teen Center, which is open to members entering seventh grade through age 18, will be the place to be on Mondays and Fridays. Please see the Youth Center page of this website for a calendar of activities. A calendar of activities is also available on the Teen Center page.

Leadership Camp for Summer 2009!

Save the date! In partnership with Somerset County Drug Free Communities and PA National Guard, the Boys and Girls Club will offer its summer Leadership Program for our Teen Center members. Leadership Camp activities will take place on June 12th, 15th, and 22nd from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. The Club will provide fun and educational activities and two snacks and lunch each day. The cost of the program is covered by each members' summer program registration fee of $10.00. Space is limited, so register early! Contact the Boys and Girls Club for more information--445-1802.