Friday, June 19, 2015
This story is reprinted with permission from the Boys and Girls Club of Troy website.
The roots of the Boys & Girls Club of Troy, as it is today known, can be traced back to 1973 when the idea of establishing a Club for local youth was formulated. Through the efforts of determined community members, the Club was incorporated in 1974, and a permanent Board of Directors was created two years later.
The Club secured its first home in 1977 in the basement of the Church of Latter Day Saints. The first full time Executive Director was hired and major fundraisers began to take shape, including the inaugural golf outing and the Troy Kiwanis Valentine’s Dinner.
In 1978 the doors to the Club officially opened, and in 1980 the location was moved to the bottom half of the Colerain School as the organization gained membership to what was then known as the Boys Clubs of America. The Club’s membership doubled in the next three years, allowing the organization to occupy the entire Colerain facility.
As the national organization was rechristened the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the local clubs followed suit and thus the Boys & Girls Club of Troy became the official name of the organization in 1990.
The Boys & Girls Club of Troy continued to grow and thrive through the 1990s and into the new millennium. Another boon for the organization took place in 2006 when the Club moved to a brand new, 18,000 square foot facility just 1.5 miles from its previous location.
For over 35 years, the Boys & Girls Club of Troy has served its community by providing a safe and positive place for young people. A number of fundraising events supplement operational costs of the organization, including the Taste of Troy, hosted annually on the first Sunday in March.
To commemorate the City of Troy’s 60th Anniversary in 2015, we will publish a different story each day that highlights a person, discovery, or event that occurred locally, regionally, nationally, or even globally between 1955 and 2015 and that helped shape our lives and our community. We will try to post stories on important anniversary dates, but we also realize that dates are less critical than content and context. We will include the facts related to controversial stories, allowing our readers to form their own opinions. We invite you to read and comment on the stories. Your suggestions for topics are also welcome and can be posted on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/TroyHistoricVillage. You can also email stories or ideas to the 365 Story Editor at ed@thvmail.org.
