The annual Boys & Girls Club gala dinner will be held on Friday, April 25, beginning at 6 p.m. at the Shorewood Country Club in the town of Dunkirk.

“The annual dinner is so important to us,” said Jeannie Gallaway, Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Chautauqua County. “It’s really impactful. The annual dinner is an opportunity for our constituents and funders to come together and hear about the impact of the Boys & Girls Club.”

The evening will include cocktails, a silent auction and dinner. A program will begin at 7:30 p.m. with a live auction to follow.

Seats for the dinner are available for $75 each and tables of eight are $570.

Daryl Spacc and Larry Spacc GMC will receive the Service to the Club award for advocating on behalf of the Club, volunteerism, and frequent donations to the Club.

As part of the annual tradition, the Club will be recognizing individuals who have had a major impact on its success over the years. This year’s nominees are Jacob Sam, of AG Team Agricultural Logistics; Daryl Spacc, of the Spacc GMC dealership in Fredonia; and Jim Enser, a current Board member and previous Board President.

Sam and the AG Team will be recognized as the Friend to the Club award recipient for consistently supporting the Club through corporate sponsorship. Spacc will receive the Service to the Club award for advocating on behalf of the Club, volunteerism, and frequent donations to the Club.

Enser receives the Exceptional Partner to the Club award for his tireless support of the organization for the past 30 years. In addition to serving as a previous Board President, Enser is currently the Club’s Safety Committee Chairman, and has served on the Board since the Club’s inception 30 years ago.

“Without his service, we wouldn’t be where we are today,” Gallaway said.

Located at School 4, the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Chautauqua County has served the community’s children for the past 30 years. Core programs engage youth in activities with adults, peers and family members enabling participants to enhance their self-esteem and develop to their full potential.

Jim Enser will receive the Exceptional Partner to the Club award for his tireless support of the organization for the past 30 years.

The Boys & Girls Club of Northern Chautauqua County is arguably in the best position in its history, as the program was recently recognized as a state-licensed after-school childcare program. The Club received a substantial Learning and Enrichment Afterschool Program Supports (LEAPS) grant from the state – the largest award in the Club’s existence – to cover staffing and programming costs. With the extra funding, the Club was able to increase its Site Director position to full-time, along with a full-time School-age Childcare Coordinator.

While the state is covering many of the operating costs of the Club, fundraisers such as the annual gala provide the Club with funding to support additional needs, such as scholarships for area youth in need. Fundraisers like the annual gala give the Club the freedom to best meet the needs of families in the community.

“The dinner is an opportunity to showcase what our kids are doing,” Gallaway said.

In recent years, under the guidance of Gallaway, the Club has strengthened relationships all throughout the community. The Club works closely with the United Way, Chautauqua Works, Chautauqua Striders, and the Erie 2 BOCES work experience program, as well as internship programs, student projects, and volunteers from SUNY Fredonia.

Average daily attendance at the Club has grown over the past year, so much so that there is now a waiting list for after-school care. The Club now serves roughly 100 children from the community, up from between 65-80 a year ago. Support for children of the Club has also grown in recent years, with increased mental and emotional support and trauma informed care.

Based on physical, emotional, cultural and social needs and interests of boys and girls, programs and activities are offered in five areas: character and leadership development; education and career development; health and life skills; the arts; and sports and recreation.

Members of the Club will be in attendance at the annual gala to usher attendees in and handout candy.

For more information on the dinner or the Boys & Girls Club in general, call (716) 366-1061. Additional sponsors are greatly appreciated.