Boys and Girls Club hopes to keep growing in Saugatuck/Douglas

SAUGATUCK — It’s been five years since members of the community began raising support in hopes of launching a Boys and Girls Club in Saugatuck/Douglas. That club is now reality.

“Five years ago, I noticed a lot of kids sitting around after school,” said strategic advisor Gordan Stannis. “It was that simple. … I just saw a lot of kids sitting around, messing around on their phones. They looked hungry and thirsty for something more.”

The Holland Boys and Girls Club was asked to sponsor a branch in Saugatuck. The idea picked up traction. To make it happen, they needed the support of superintendents and principals and local parents.

"Everyone's heard of it but nobody knows what it is,” Stannis said. “Now, we have parents saying they have no idea what they would do without it."

When the branch in Saugatuck/Douglas launched three years ago, Stannis said it would be considered a success if they could consistently get 25 children to attend each day. Today, the organization averages four times that number.

The club is located inside Douglas Elementary School at 261 W. Randolph St.

“Close to 100 kids choose to stay at the club after school every day,” Stannis said. “They would rather do that than run home and play by themselves. I think it's the coolest thing.”

The club is always looking for support from the community. Organizers plan to hold a local 5K on May 18 to support youth programs in Fennville, Pullman, Saugatuck and Douglas.

It’s a course unlike any other, a 3.1-mile stretch winding through vineyards and orchards with live music, farm animals, lawn games and food trucks.

The club hopes to raise funds to grow offerings.

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“We need to raise twice as much money so we can fund the middle school and high school program,” Stannis said. “To me, that’s a very high priority.”

To learn more about the Boys and Girls Club of Saugatuck/Douglas, visit bgch.org . To sign up for the race, visit runsignup.com .

— Contact reporter Austin Metz at ametz@hollandsentinel.com.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Boys and Girls Club hopes to keep growing in Saugatuck/Douglas