Boys & Girls Clubs of America Receives $1 Million Donation from Lowe's

ATLANTA, May 20, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Boys & Girls Clubs of America today announced Lowe's donation of $1 million for improvement and renovation projects at Clubs across the country. Lowe's grants of up to $50,000 per Club will fund needed repairs and upgrades at 20 Boys & Girls Clubs from Maine to Southern California.

As the need to update facilities increases and maintenance costs rise, Lowe's support helps local Clubs make critical improvements to ensure they remain safe and inviting places for youth who need them most. At many locations, Lowe's Heroes employee volunteers get involved by donating their time and talent to help Clubs complete their projects efficiently and safely.

"We are profoundly grateful for Lowe's continued support providing essential renovations and improvements for our Clubs nationwide," said Jim Clark, president and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of America. "This $1 million investment helps Clubs to continue to provide safe and engaging places where our members can grow and develop the necessary skills needed to achieve great futures."

Since 2009, Lowe's has contributed $5 million in grants and thousands of volunteer hours to fund improvements at more than 100 Clubs. In 2013, Lowe's support helped update more than 20 Clubs with improvements that reflected a variety of facility needs, ranging from renovating a soccer arena to rebuilding restrooms.

"Boys & Girls Clubs of America continues to provide critical youth development programs and learning opportunities in communities across the country," said Joan Higginbotham, Lowe's director of community relations. "Our partnership helps create safe places for the youngest members of these communities to learn and grow."

As part of this year's donation, the following Clubs will receive a grant:

Arkansas

Boys & Girls Club of Benton County – Bentonville
$47,000 to make interior/exterior upgrades, including paint, new flooring and landscaping

California

Boys & Girls Clubs of Long Beach – Long Beach
$35,000 to renovate restrooms and floors, paint and improve energy efficiency

Boys & Girls Clubs of West San Gabriel Valley – Monterey Park
$50,000 to renovate athletic space, upgrade flooring and paint

Hawaii

Boys & Girls Clubs of Hawaii – Honolulu
$25,000 to renovate kitchens, hallways and lobby area

Indiana

Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence County – Bedford
$50,000 to create a dedicated teen center

Kansas

Boys & Girls Clubs of Topeka – Topeka
$48,000 to upgrade security and fire safety systems, kitchen equipment and classroom spaces

Maine

Boys & Girls Club of Greater Gardiner – Gardiner
$25,000 to update teen center and general program areas

Massachusetts

Springfield Boys & Girls Club – Springfield
$50,000 to renovate two gymnasiums and athletic space

Mississippi

Boys & Girls Club of the Gulf Coast – Gulfport
$42,000 to replace carpet, paint, landscape and build privacy fencing and walkways

New Jersey

Boys & Girls Clubs of Newark – Newark
$50,000 to upgrade restrooms, tech center, arts room and family resource center

New Mexico

Boys & Girls Club of Central New Mexico - Rio Ranch – Albuquerque
$33,000 to renovate bathrooms, replace gymnasium HVAC units and kitchen safety system

North Carolina

Boys & Girls Clubs of Wake County – Raleigh
$50,000 to replace Club roof and four HVAC units

Ohio

Lorain County Boys & Girls Clubs – Oberlin
$50,000 to renovate kitchen and main Club space, including a digital arts studio

Pennsylvania

Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia – Philadelphia
$50,000 to renovate kitchen for healthy cooking programs

South Dakota

Boys & Girls Club of the Sioux Empire – Sioux Falls
$25,000 to upgrade common areas throughout Club

Tennessee

Boys & Girls Clubs of Maury County – Columbia
$48,000 to create a new teen center

Texas

Boys & Girls Club of El Paso – El Paso
$25,000 to renovate restrooms

Utah

Boys & Girls Club of Greater Salt Lake City – Salt Lake City
$32,000 to renovate restrooms and front desk area

Virginia

Boys & Girls Club of Southeast Virginia – Norfolk
$45,000 to upgrade security system and make general interior/exterior repairs

Wisconsin

Boys & Girls Club of Portage County – Stevens Point
$27,000 to upgrade kitchen equipment and renovate kitchen area  

ABOUT BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF AMERICA

For more than 100 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (GreatFutures.org) has enabled young people most in need to achieve great futures as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Today, more than 4,000 Clubs serve nearly 4 million young people annually through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs are located in cities, towns, public housing and on Native lands throughout the country, and serve military families in BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide. They provide a safe place, caring adult mentors, fun, friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Priority programs emphasize academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles. In a Harris Survey of alumni, 57 percent said the Club saved their lives. National headquarters are located in Atlanta. Learn more at http://www.bgca.org/facebook and http://bgca.org/twitter.

ABOUT LOWE'S

Lowe's, a FORTUNE® 100 home improvement company, has a 50-year legacy of supporting the communities it serves through programs that focus on K-12 public education and community improvement projects. Since 2007, Lowe's and the Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation together have contributed nearly $200 million to these efforts, and for more than two decades Lowe's Heroes employee volunteers have donated their time to make our communities better places to live. To learn more, visit Lowes.com/SocialResponsibility and LowesInTheCommunity.tumblr.com.

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SOURCE Boys & Girls Clubs of America