$50K grant to help rebuild facility

NORTH PORT — Organizations are still helping each other nearly two years after Hurricane Ian trashed the area.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties recently received a grant of $50,000 from the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. That money will help reconstruction at North Port's Gene Matthews Boys & Girls Club and its the Steven and Marjolaine Townsend Campus.

"Due to the urgent need to serve the rapidly expanding community of North Port, a renovation of the Club was already on the horizon," according to a news release.

Ian caused "irreparable damage to two of the three main buildings," the news release stated - and that accelerated the timeline.

"To ensure today’s youth have the skills, resources, and opportunities to be the leaders of tomorrow, a new 23,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility will be built in the same location that has served local families for over 25 years," it stated.

Once done, it will have new classrooms, a "commercial teaching" kitchen, college and career center, a teen center, a technology lab and a food pantry for area families, the news release noted.

"Club members will also be able to enjoy the outdoors with a newly renovated sun-shaded playground, recreation pavilion, and health and fitness center," it stated.

The funds come through the Suncoast Disaster Recovery Fund provided to the Community Foundation. It will help defray some ongoing costs and provide other current needs, like two classroom portables, internet needs and an ADA-compliant concrete sidewalk, the news release stated.

“As we embark on this transformative journey to rebuild the Steve and Marjolaine Townsend Campus, home of the Gene Matthews Boys & Girls Club, we are sincerely grateful for the generous support from the Community Foundation of Sarasota County,” Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties President/CEO Bill Sadlo stated. “This funding represents a significant step forward in our mission to ensure youth in the North Port community continue to have access to award-winning and nationally recognized programs designed to help them reach their full potential.”