Big donation kicks off Boys, Girls Club campaign

Look in the couch. Or under the bed. Maybe in the car seat. Was it there? The spare change, loose coins or winnings from the laundry lottery are just what the Oak Harbor Boys and Girls Club needs.

The local chapter of the nation-wide organization is beginning its annual fund-raising drive and already it is off to a nice start. Bill and Kathy Massey of Island Construction gave the club a donation of $10,000 as a way to jump start the effort.

“Boys and Girls has always been very important to Island Construction,” company spokeswoman Ollie Hardcastle said. “We try to support our children because we know they are our future.”

More than half of the organization’s income is derived from local, private donors, said Vicki Harring, president of the club’s Board of Directors.

“This is awesome, this is wonderful and this is a good time to get it,” she said.

The club provides after-school activities and Friday night programs for teenagers. Approximately 620 area youth utilize the facilities. It is open to children ages 8 to 18 at a cost of $10 per year.

Club Executive Director Roosevelt Rumble said the donation from Island Construction provides a good transition into the drive.

“We as a Boys and Girls Club want to say thank you to Island Construction,” Rumble said.

The donation campaign joins the club’s annual auction as the significant fund-raising efforts for the year. The auction will take place next March.

For more information or to contribute, contact the club at 360-240-9273 or e-mail bgcoh@oakharbor.net.

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