The Boys & Girls Club of Sweet Home recently got a new addition to their gym. The addition was made possible by a grant received from the Sweet Home Community Foundation (SHCF).
The addition was new scoreboards, installed a couple of months ago, bringing a renewed sense of pride to the club’s facility which hadn’t had working signs for years.
“We applied for a grant through the SHCF about getting our scoreboards fixed because they haven’t worked for years,” the club’s director of development Courtney Paul said.
The club applied for this grant in February of this year. The installation of the new scoreboards marks a significant improvement for the club, according to CEO Casey Humphrey.
“I think it’s going to be a huge impact for the Boys & Girls Club, and our kids, just having some quality scoreboards,” Humphrey said. “So when they step in here, they can take pride in this facility, and we’ve got scoreboards that are working. I think it will be huge.”
Humphrey also emphasized the importance of having functional and high-quality equipment for the club’s youth.
“Now you can look up here and see some nice, big, quality scoreboards that kids can be proud of as well,” he added.
The SHCF awarded $500,000 in grants this year, funding over 100 community projects, including the scoreboards for the Boys & Girls Clubs. The foundation’s president, Robert Burford, expressed satisfaction with supporting such projects.
“The SHCF is very happy to sponsor grant programs for the community,” Burford said. “The Boys & Girls Club was one of many that applied. We’re happy to award them the funds necessary to purchase those scoreboards for them to, in turn, use with the youth of the area.”
According to the SHCF website, the foundation’s goal is to support organizations and projects that enhance the quality of life in Sweet Home. Each year, the SHCF opens its grant cycle in February, with applications accepted until spring. Board members review and score each application based on specific criteria before meeting as a group to make final funding decisions. Recipients must complete their projects before the next grant cycle begins.
The Sweet Home club was able to complete this project well before the aforementioned date. Now: students, athletes, club members and the community as a whole, can look forward to seeing the new signs.