![\"NBA](\"https:\/\/lamesacourier.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Bill-Walton.jpg\")
<\/a>Higgins said approval for the new clubhouse has been received from the California Division of the State Architect (DSA), the governing body for construction on public school campuses. \u201cWe have met the stringent requirements and now we\u2019re shovel-ready from a permitting standpoint,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
In related news, the city of La Mesa recently received a $1.9 million grant from the California Department of Transportation to improve sidewalks, improve traffic circulation and add a high-visibility crosswalk at Lowell Street and Junior High Drive, an intersection leading to the middle school campus and the future BGCEC facilities. The grant also will complete 4.8 miles of bicycle and pedestrian paths linking the west La Mesa neighborhood\u2019s schools, including La Mesa Arts Academy, Helix Charter High School and La Mesa Dale Elementary School to parks, bike paths, transit and other key community destinations. Environmental work is scheduled to begin in fiscal year 2016-2017, city officials said.<\/p>\n
The BGCEC\u2019s La Mesa Capital Campaign includes funding for the new clubhouse on the west end of the middle school campus as well as renovations completed last year to an existing teen center also located on the middle school\u2019s property, plus an endowment to operate both facilities.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf the $9.4 million goal for the capital campaign, we have received total pledges of $5.6 million plus an in-kind donation in grading services valued at about $200,000,\u201d Higgins said. \u201cSo, we have about $3.7 million remaining.\u201d<\/p>\n
When completed, BGCEC officials said both the Brady Family Teen Center and Brady Family Clubhouse will serve up to 400 children a day, ages 5 to 18.<\/p>\n
Roughly one-third of the $9.4 million goal for the La Mesa Campaign came from Ron and Mary Alice Brady, owners of the Brady Companies, a La Mesa-based construction company specializing in metal stud framing, drywall installation, doors, frames, and acoustical ceilings. In 2014, the Bradys pledged $1 million to renovate the existing teen center, which was renamed the Brady Family Teen Center, along with $2 million to help build a new yet-to-be constructed clubhouse to be called the Brady Family Clubhouse.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe decide to support the Boys and Girls Clubs because it\u2019s better to build kids than try to mend adults,\u201d Ron Brady said. \u201cWe\u2019re proud of the work of the Boys and Girls Clubs. They\u2019re teaching kids the importance of personal responsibility and accountability for their own lives.\u201d<\/p>\n
The new 25,000-square-foot Brady Family Clubhouse will be the largest of the six Boys and Girls Clubs of East County. The clubhouse will feature a learning center called The Academy; a full-service kitchen and nutrition center; Little Rascals area for 5-to-7-year olds; and a 10,000-square-foot Bill Walton Gymnasium, named after the famous La Mesa native and former professional basketball player.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are appealing to everyone in the community to become involved by adding their name to the Brady Family Clubhouse,\u201d said chairman of the capital campaign and CEO of EDCO Disposal Steve South. \u201cWe believe this new clubhouse will be a game-changer in our community.\u201d<\/p>\n
South said donations can range from $500 to become a \u201cbuilder\u201d on the donor wall to $300,000 to fund a game room or playground for young club users. A donor\u2019s name on an outdoor play structure will run $100,000, while $30,000 is being requested for either a check-in counter, set of outdoor bleachers or a director\u2019s office. Sponsoring a backboard or a scoreboard is $20,000, while purchasing office furnishings or equipment for the nurse\u2019s station is $10,000.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe new clubhouse will be a catalyst to help change the entire western La Mesa area,\u201d said La Mesa Mayor Mark Arapostathis, who also is a co-founder of La Mesa Arts Academy and the director of theater arts at the school as well as director of Peter Pan Jr. Theater and C. Hook Theater. \u201cWhen the doors open on the first day, the impact on our youth will be tremendous.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOur district\u2019s partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of East County and its after-school programs is beneficial to everyone in the community,\u201d said La Mesa-Spring Valley School District superintendent Brian Marshall. \u201cAdding a clubhouse to the La Mesa Arts Academy campus will enhance the education of our students.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2014Rick Griffin is a public relations specialist based in La Mesa. Reach him at griffinpr@aol.com.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Rick Griffin The Boys & Girls Clubs of East County (BGCEC) has announced more than $5.6 million has been raised towards a goal of $9.4 million for its fundraising effort called the \u201cLa Mesa Capital Campaign\u201d that includes construction of a new 25,000-square-foot clubhouse on the campus of La Mesa Arts Academy, previously known […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":806,"featured_media":222665,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"11548","_seopress_titles_title":"More than half way to fund new Boys & Girls Club","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"jnews_override_counter":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[11547,11548,11551],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-223551","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","category-la-mesa-courier","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/223551","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/806"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=223551"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/223551\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/222665"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=223551"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=223551"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=223551"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}