Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands (BGCM) in close partnerships with Omaha Public Schools is proud to announce the addition of the new Florence Boys & Girls Club honoring Howard L. Hawks attached to Florence Elementary.
A ribbon cutting ceremony was held on Monday, August 13th at 5:30 p.m. at Florence Elementary.
The $3.1 million project represents a unique School-Club partnership, adding a Club to the existing school, connecting youth with hope and opportunities. The Florence Boys & Girls Club is the second new location BGCM opened this year as part of its 5-year $24.9 million capital campaign to build four new Club locations in Omaha and renovations to existing locations.
“We are honored to be partnering with Omaha Public Schools to provide our programming to deserving young people of the historic Florence community,” Ivan Gilreath, BGCM President & CEO said. “This model removes the barrier of transportation that so many of our young people face when deciding on after-school programming. Hot meals at night, homework help and overall fun will be available for these wonderful young people every night and will put them on the right track for eligibility for our scholarships and internship programs when they are older. This is a win for the youth, community, OPS and Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands.”
The Florence Club is a state of the art facility that has 11,000 square-feet of dedicated Club space for members. The Club has a shared secure entry for both the Club and the school, space for younger members, a teen center, a learning center with computers and an innovation lab for STEM programming. Through the partnership with the school, members will have access to an additional 9,500 square feet of shared space that includes the gym, cafeteria and library. The Florence Club will serve 165 youth per day.
“We are thrilled to be returning to a newly renovated school and for the opportunity to partner with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands. This partnership will provide some much needed services to our students, their families and the community at large,” Daniel Hoeck, Florence Elementary Principal said.
The Florence Club is named in honor of Howard L. Hawks, longtime Boys & Girls Clubs supporter and past President of the Board of Directors. Howard, along with his wife, Rhonda, has helped steer the Clubs toward the success it has achieved.
