James L. McKeown Boys & Girls Club of Woburn proudly announces that Lainey Gaiero of Burlington, MA is the winner of the 2020 PFC Joseph L. Drew Youth of the Year Award. Lainey was chosen from a pool of wonderful upper classmen who are members of the Boys & Girls Club and who are nominated based on academic success, commitment to leading a healthy lifestyle, passion for their experience at the Boys & Girls Club and overall character and leadership.

Locally, this award, the top honor bestowed by the Club on an annual basis, is named in memory of Private First Class Joseph L. Drew. Joe was an original member of the Woburn Boys Club in 1964. He served his community through his participation in the Key Club and the St. Charles CYO. Joe entered the United States Marine Corps and was shipped to Vietnam where he spent 214 days. He was featured in the CBS News documentary, This Day Has 12,000 Miles which aired December 23, 1965. He was killed in action December 27, 2965 – just days before his 19^th birthday.

Youth of the Year candidates are nominated in an open process and a group of finalists is selected by the Club’s professional staff. Finalists for the award in 2020 also included Caleb Sawicki, Brendan Tighe, and Matthew Tilly all of Woburn, MA. Finalists are asked to complete an application consisting of essays and letters of recommendation. They are then interviewed by a panel of judges composed of 2 staff members and 3 representatives from the community. The panel of judges make the final decision. Volunteer judges for this year’s difficult competition included Craig Iverson, Greg Murphy, and John Sheehy.

The Club’s 2020 PFC Joseph L. Drew Youth of the Year, Lainey Gaiero, is a junior at Burlington High School where she is a member of the National Honor Society and a participant in the field hockey program. She has been a member of the Boys & Girls Club for ten years and has been heavily involved in several programs, with a focus on character and leadership development. Currently she serves as the vice president of the Intrepid Keystone Club, a Jr. Staff member, and the advisor of the Gemstones community service club for elementary school students. Lainey is also passionate about helping others outside of the Boys & Girls Club. For a number of years, she has served as a team captain for Relay For Life of Burlington to benefit the American Cancer Society. This year alone, Lainey has completed 280 hours of community service.

Armed with a passion to help others, Lainey plans to attend a four-year college and hopes to have a career in social work one day. When asked about her experience at James L. McKeown Boys & Girls Club of Woburn, she says “The Club has acted as my second home and family along with giving me a lifetime of unforgettable memories. It has also helped me grow as an individual and give back to a place that means so much to me and my family!”

Submit your art work to be included in our Drive By Art Show! Every two weeks the Club will post a prompt for all members to submit art to the Club. Art will be hung in the Club’s windows for families to drive by and enjoy! 

This week’s prompt is Be BIG & BOLD. Create a piece of art on a recycled canvas (newspaper, box, cardboard) that shows your interpretation of living big & bold! Submit your art to the labeled bin at the Club.  Please include your name, age, and an artist statement expressing what your piece represents & was inspired by! Art cannot be bigger than 30” x 30”.  Submissions are due to the Club on Monday, May 18th by 4:00 p.m.

All art will be on display by Wednesday, May 20th. Winners will be chosen in each age group: 8-10, 11-13, and 14-18. 

We can’t wait to see what you come up with! 

We’ve revamped our Spring Schedule in the hopes of better serving our youth & teens.  We’re keeping all the favorites, but adding some more focused programming by grade level and adding some special new things! 

Check out the full schedule for the week here: JLMBGCWoburn Virtual Program Schedule!

Every morning the links to join and activity descriptions are shared via email. If you have not yet receiving these emails please fill out the Virtual Program Permission form to be added to this email list! 

We look forward to hanging out with you in the virtual Clubhouse soon! 

Kick in for Kids is a favorite, annual community event that supports the McKeown Boys & Girls Club.  To keep the tradition alive this year & raise needed funds for our kids, we have decided to go virtual! Join us now here: bit.ly/5kforkids!

Did you know that in the midst of the COVID-19 public health crisis, our Boys & Girls Club is still there for our community? Nearly overnight, our staff team built out a “virtual Clubhouse” offering a variety of ways to keep kids and families healthy, safe and engaged during the “safer at home” advisory. In addition, we have been connecting with community resources to meet the basic needs of our most vulnerable families.

However, the crisis has also dried up nearly all of our funding sources. When families get back to work in the coming months, they are going to rely on the Club more than ever before and we want to prepare as best we can to meet those needs. To do so, we need the support of our community!

What:  Walk or run a 5K on your own around your neighborhood!
When:  Any time between Sunday, May 3, 2020 and Saturday, May 9, 2020.

Here’s How to Participate:
 – Head to bit.ly/5kforkids to get started!
 – “Join” if you want to create your own fundraising team or join an existing team. Or, simply “Donate” to support our Club through this virtual race.
 – Share with your networks to help us spread the word! (Example: “I just donated to #5KforKids to support the McKeown Boys & Girls Club!  I challenge these 5 friends to join me:  …  Get going & give! bit.ly/5kforkids”)
 – When you go out to do your 5K, please be sure to stay safe & healthy by practicing safe social distancing and also covering your face if needed.
 – After you complete your 5K, post a picture on social media & use the hashtag #5KforKids to promote health & fitness among our entire community.
 – Print, decorate and wear your own Kick in for Kids race bib if you’d like! 

We are excited to offer some great new programs & activities moving into this new week!  Check out the wide variety of offerings to get involved in this week. We have structured activities, service learning meetings (new times, check out the schedule!), daily workouts & trivia and games. All offerings last 30 to 50 minutes. 

Each morning, the Club emails out daily program updates that include the activities being offered, any supplies needed and the information to join in for the day. If you are not yet receiving these emails, please fill out the form here!  You only need to fill this out once. If you have completed it and are not receiving emails, please connect with Meg.

The Club is looking for new art work and we need your help! 

We are holding an art contest to create new Club thank you cards. Use this Art Contest Template and add drawings, color and words about why you love the Club and how the Club makes you feel.  Try to fill up all the white space and be as creative as you like!

You can print the template at home or pick one up from the folder on the Club’s front door. Submissions are due Monday, April 27, 2020 by 7:00 p.m. Email Meg your entry or drop it at the Club in the dropbox at the front door.

We look forward to seeing all our creative entries.

We have planned a week full of fun programs and activities for ALL members to get involved in. Members of all ages are welcome to participate in daily workouts, trivia games, and programs. 

Join us for a virtual Spirit Week to connect us from home. From Club Spirit Day to Dress to Impress, participate daily to mix it up and spread some smiles.

Participate throughout the week in programs and theme days  to earn special prizes. All days outlined in our schedule.

Here’s the schedule! Don’t miss out on any of the fun.

(Click the image for a larger view!)

How to Participate:
  –  Make sure you have filled out the Virtual Program Permission form for your member. 
  –  Links to participate in our virtual programs will be emailed out each morning to those who have completed this form. 
  –  Download the BlueJeans app (or join us on your desktop) to participate. This information will be included in the daily email.
  –  Members are encouraged to join how they feel most comfortable (turning on video is not mandatory!). 
  –  See you at the Virtual Clubhouse for April Vacation!

Join us for a variety of activities, homework help and hangouts over the shutdown. Check-in with staff and keep the Club connection. Hangouts begin Monday, March 30, 2020.

Members need permission to participate. Just fill out this online form to grant your member permission. Once permission is completed, invites to virtual hangouts will be sent to the emails provided. 

The Club is utilizing BlueJeans Network to facilitate our calls. Members can access hangouts via the link in the invite on their desktop or download the BlueJeans app on a phone.

The Club is taking all precautions to keep our members safe online. There will always be two staff present, the chat features will be disabled and sessions will be recorded to ensure the safety of the group. As always if you have any concerns, please email Meg!

The Club is excited to offer Spring Dance Classes for members ages 8-12 years old! Enrollment is open now for intro classes in hip hop, jazz & lyrical.  Space is limited, so don’t wait to sign up!

UPDATE: The Club is NOT offering lyrical at this time.  Tuesday Hip Hop is FULL but we are offering a Wednesday Hip Hop class from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. 

Members Dance Brochure Spring 2020 now and email Meg at m.gamblae@bgcwoburn.org to register or with any questions. We look forward to a fun session of learning for our members.