Funding allowed the Boys and Girls Club to enhance their capital projects, including improvements to their pool with new pumps and piping. Outdoor improvements also included the grading of their open space area, the removal of dead trees and a broken basketball court, along with replacing the sprinkler system. Currenty underway are renovations to the locker rooms and the pool de-humidification system.
Mayor Sarno states, “Nonprofits such as the Springfield Boys and Girls Club play a vital and important role in our community, offering a wide range of programs for our residents, especially our youth. I want to thank Executive Director Vinny Borello and his team for their efforts supporting our community. Thanks to the $1.5 million of ARPA funding my administration has awarded the club, they are going to be able to redevelop and enhance the quality of programs and service offered for our youth, especially in our North End and Hungry Hill neighborhoods.”
“Coming from my days at the South End Community Center and District Attorney Bill Bennett’s Office, youth development programs are very near and dear to my heart. The more we can put in the front end, the better the outcome for our youth and their families.”
“I am proud that my administration has been able to commit the vast majority of our local allocation of federal ARPA funding back into our community through the various all-encompassing programs and initiatives that I have put forth. We have been one of the few communities in the Commonwealth and the nation to provide this in-depth level of direct service and funding. After meeting with over 40 neighborhood councils, nonprofits, businesses and others, my administration heard directly from our community what they needed and I am proud that we have been able to help these organizations stabilize their operations and programs/projects, create more of that good four-letter word – jobs, and enhance the quality of life for residents through all of our neighborhoods, just to name a few.” Mayor Sarno added.
The Springfield Boys and Girls Club is an important partner with the City of Springfield and is part of Mayor Sarno's Community Stakeholders Roundtable team to share ideas and programs to provide outreach to local youth and families. The Club serves over 3,000 youth. This outreach and community service was enhanced as part of the citywide universal passes to all community centers agreed to take part in, as part of the mayor's Community Stakeholders Roundtable team meetings.
As part of the tour, Vinny Borello, Executive Director for the Springfield Boys and Girls Club, and lifeguard showcased the Clubs new WAVE Swimmer Safety System, innovative real-time tracking technology system that uses lightweight wearables to determine if any swimmer is at risk of drowning. If the device is underwater for a period of time, the connected bracelet will vibrate on the lifeguard and an alarm will sound.
