President and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana, Ryan Smiley, recently accepted Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s prestigious Merit Award for Program Excellence in Best Overall Club Participation and Regular Attendance. The award was presented during Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s 112th National Conference in San Diego. Merit Awards for Program Excellence, are sponsored by MetLife Foundation and presented annually for outstanding programs developed and implemented to lead youth to great futures at Boys & Girls Clubs across the country. Each honoree receives a $2,500 award.
Each year, hundreds of entries are submitted in the five core program areas: character and leadership development; education and career development; health and life skills; the arts; and sports, fitness and recreation; as well as in the three overall program areas: Best Overall Program by organizational Budget; Best Overall Participation and Regular Attendance of which the Duneland Boys & Girls Clubs was recognized; and Innovations in Safety.
“We are very honored to accept this Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s National Merit Award on behalf of our Duneland Club and the members we serve. o be recognized at our national level for growth in membership and attendance is quite a feat considering there are more than 4,000 Boys & Girls Clubs across the country. Our new Duneland Club continues to garner local, state and national attention and recognition for its design, programming, equipment and service to our members and community,” states Ryan Smiley, president and CEO.
Additionally, at the 2018 Construction Advancement Awards, Tonn & Blank Construction was one of two award winners for Commercial Project of the Year. Tonn & Blank was contracted by Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana to build the new Duneland Club in Chesterton. Roughly 8,500 square feet of the Club’s existing space was renovated and 16,800 square feet was added, all without disrupting the Duneland Club’s programming and service to kids. As a result of Tonn & Blank’s construction leadership, daily attendance has more than doubled for Duneland Boys & Girls Club.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana:
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana has been opening doors to GREAT FUTURES for Porter and Lake County youth for 63 years! Clubs are open after school and provide great places for youth in grades K-12 to meet friends and have fun while in a safe, supervised environment. Clubs are open during holidays and in the summer. Annual membership is only $35.00. For information on membership, volunteer opportunities, or to make a tax-deductible donation, please contact your local Club by calling (219) 464-7282 or visiting bgcgreaternwi.org. Great Futures Start HERE.
