The future Boys & Girls Clubhouse will be located at 312-350 E. Main St. in Dunkirk. The building was donated to the Club by Refresco Beverages Inc., a leading beverage manufacturer operating in Dunkirk.

“We believe that this donation will greatly benefit the community and support the invaluable work that the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Chautauqua County undertakes for the youth in the Dunkirk area,” said Shane Perkey, CFO of Refresco.

Refresco’s generous contribution reflects its ongoing commitment to community engagement and investment in the wellbeing of local families. The donation will provide the Club with a dedicated space to expand its services, programs, and outreach efforts for local youth.

“This shows that Refresco is willing to give back into the community,” said Kait Dawson, Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Chautauqua County. “Not a lot of businesses think about things like childcare and being pillars of the community because it’s easy not to be. It’s so much simpler to just do your job, make your product, and move on. It’s a lot harder to try to give back to your community. I appreciate that, and I think a lot of our community will.”

Pictured are children of the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Chautauqua County playing games during the Club’s annual holiday party.

The donated building is the former Cliffstar Training Center, located across the street from CVS Pharmacy and Dollar Tree (formerly Walgreens). Prior to that, the building served as a bank. Being located in a central spot in the city will provide the Club with enhanced visibility and easy access for local families.

In addition to its foothold in the heart of the city of Dunkirk, the building offers significant space and infrastructure that will support the Club’s mission of enabling young people to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. The Boys & Girls Club plans to use the new space to expand educational programming, after-school activities, and summer enrichment opportunities in a variety of ways once the Clubhouse is officially open.

“It’s important for our school-aged children to have a building and a place that they can go to. I would love to see this place be a pillar for our community, to be that place that children go to,” said Dawson. “The fact that Refresco is willing to be a part of that is amazing.”

The Club will be undertaking a significant renovation of the building in the coming months. In the meantime, the Club will remain operational at the St. Hyacinth’s school building on Lake Shore Drive in Dunkirk. More information about the Club’s permanent home will be made available at a later date.

For more information about the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Chautauqua County, contact Kait Dawson, Executive Director, at kaitd.bgc@gmail.com or call (716) 366-1061.

Kait Dawson, Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Chautauqua County, hopes the new Clubhouse will serve as a “pillar” of the Dunkirk community.