Local Clubs Celebrate Boys & Girls Club Week

REDLANDS>> Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Redlands-Riverside celebrated National Boys & Girls Club Week on Friday, March 31, with events at the Club’s sites in Victorville, Rancho Cucamonga and Mentone. During National Boys & Girls Club Week, which was March 27-31, hundreds of Clubs across the country and on U.S. military installations worldwide hosted open houses and tours to show the public what happens at a Boys & Girls Club. Activities were based on the club’s core principles -- Academic Success, Good Character & Citizenship and Healthy Lifestyles. Attendees enjoyed food, crafts, games, photo booths and performances, and were encouraged to bring coloring books and crayons for kids at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital. World Boxing Council lightweight champion and Moreno Valley resident Mikey Garcia spoke at the Rancho Cucamonga event. Garcia also spoke at the Club’s Redlands site on Wednesday, March 29. Other Rancho Cucamonga activities included a dance team, sports, spring crafts, and potato sack races. The Victorville event featured a magician, facepainting, a craft based on the Dr. Seuss book “Bartholomew and the Oobleck,” and a local yoga instructor leading basic exercises. At Mentone, kids flew kites, played with dogs BARC (Benevolent Animal Rescue Committee) has up for adoption, made crafts out of veggies, and got an educational visit from the San Bernardino County Fire Department. “We encourage our members daily to be physically active, eat healthy, prepare themselves for a future after high school, and care about those around you,” said Janice Jackson, director of program services for the club’s public housing sites.