Author: Julie Gage

Santiago Joins National Committee

Posted on by Julie Gage

The James L. McKeown Boys & Girls Club of Woburn is proud to announce that Lexy Santiago & Meg Gambale have been selected to join the 2016 Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s National Keystone Conference steering committee.  They recently traveled to Atlanta, GA for a weekend-long planning meeting at Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s national headquarters.

Lexy joined 15 other teens from Boys & Girls Clubs across the country (and from Japan!) to begin planning the 19th Annual Keystone Conference. The event will take place March 17, 18 and 19 of 2016 in Dallas, TX. The conference aims to be the biggest yet with a goal of hosting 2,500 teens and their advisors. Throughout the planning meeting, Lexy learned about the pressing issues facing teens today and strategized with his peers to present Keystoners with the tools to make a change. They worked together to identify areas that teens think are important and then create ways to tackle these issues in a large group setting.

Being chosen to join this planning team is a great honor and we are very proud of both Lexy & Meg! Join us in wishing them luck as they work hard to host the biggest and best Keystone conference to date.

Camp Old Navy

Posted on by Julie Gage

Old Navy in Burlington, MA recently hosted 17 members of the James L. McKeown Boys & Girls Club of Woburn for Camp Old Navy! Youth were able to visit the store and shadow the employees for a day of fun and learning. Club members learned how to operate the store’s registers, how to design displays on the floor and also were able to put together outfits that were displayed in the fitting room. At the end of the day, the kids engaged in an informative Question & Answer session with the employees. It was an excellent day of career exploration for our kids! Our Club is very grateful for the opportunity to partner with Old Navy for this important program.

Cummings Foundation Supports Building Futures Campaign

Posted on by Julie Gage

In the fall of 2014, the Cummings Foundation announced its support of the Building Futures Campaign to renovate and expand the Clubhouse located at Charles Gardner Lane in Woburn. The foundation will grant $2 million dollars to the Boys & Girls Club to support this important project. As part of the gift agreement, the Club has decided to rename the organization to the James L. McKeown Boys & Girls Club of Woburn. Jamie McKeown was the Club’s Boy of the Year in 1974 and was also the first alumni of the Club to become President of the Board of Directors. At the time of his early death, he was the President Cummings Properties.

Read this great article in the Boston Business Journal to learn more about the Cummings Foundation’s $10 million grants program.

Same Great Club, A New Name

Posted on by Julie Gage

On the occasion of its 50th anniversary, the Boys & Girls Club of Woburn was renamed the James L. McKeown Boys & Girls Club of Woburn, Inc. in honor of one of its founding members.

“Jamie,” as he was always known was selected “Youth of the Year” in 1974. During his college years, the Woburn native served as a part-time swimming teacher to hundreds of younger Club members, and also as aquatics director. In 1990, he became the first former youth member to be elected President of the Board of Directors and worked closely with the late Charlie Gardner.

Jamie graduated from Woburn High School in 1973. He then earned a bachelor’s degree from Salem State College, followed by a master’s degree from University of Vermont. He spent his entire career with commercial real estate firm Cummings Properties, where he began in February 1979. Jamie rose to Executive Vice President of that prominent Woburn firm, and in 1990 was named its President. He was introduced to his employer by Mr. Gardner through Cummings Properties founder Bill Cummings, himself a Club director and honorary director for many years.

Jamie was well known for his friendly, engaging personality and his impressive ability to organize projects and get things done. He was a much-acclaimed business and community leader, as well as a dedicated husband to Denise and father to Kelly and Molly. In Woburn, he was the founding incorporator of New Horizons at Choate, an early founder and director of Woburn Business Association, and treasurer of Woburn Industrial Finance Authority.

Despite his strong interest in sports and physical fitness, and his history of participating in marathons and triathlons, Jamie died at the early age of 41 on November 13, 1996, following a sudden heart attack. His integrity, professionalism, friendliness, and dedication to the community continue today within the hundreds of good friends and colleagues he so deeply influenced during his too-short life.