As the clock struck 2:30 PM, Boys & Girls Clubs of Porter County’s Duneland Club already was bustling with lots of kids and different after-school activities. However, Club members were a little more excited this particular afternoon because of a special visit from some very caring guests. Matt Vessely, regional president and Tricia Lahey, assistant vice president and branch manager of 1st Source Bank, made a personal trip to the Club to deliver an important gift - $25,000 toward helping to build a new Duneland Club!
“Our Club members love to have visitors,” states Ryan Smiley, president of Boys & Girls Clubs of Porter County. “It is important for our youth to share what they are doing at the Club with others. They like to tell visitors all the new things they are learning, the programs they are participating in, and the friends they making. In essence, our youth love to share their personal Club experience with others. Our members know their new Club is on the horizon, and they are more than enthusiastic to meet with people and companies that want to help make the dream of their new Club become a reality.”
1st Source Bank is a long time investor in Boys & Girls Clubs of Porter County, but they went the extra-mile by contributing to the construction and enhancement of the new Duneland Club. As academics and art are very important to 1st Source Bank, the priority that Boys & Girls Clubs of Porter County places on academic success and how art is infused into their afterschool programming, giving toward a new Duneland Club is natural fit for 1st Source Bank.
“The academic success of our Club members extends beyond the school day,” states Smiley. “In fact, when surveyed, 70% of our Club members report that they don’t skip school and 65% report that they have aspirations to attend college after graduating from high school. 1st Source Bank’s gift of $25,000 will help us build new ‘classrooms’ in our Club allowing us to provide more tutoring space, an area for our STEM programming, or a state-of-the-art computer lab where children can explore and learn more – and continue to create positive outcomes regarding their academic success.”
”1st Source Bank is pleased to make this $25,000 contribution to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Porter County,” said Vessely. “We look forward to seeing the positive impact the new Duneland Club will have on so many children in our area.”
Boys & Girls Clubs of Porter County’s Duneland Club’s Capital Campaign has reached 78% of its $4 million goal “We are so close to having this new Club for the youth and families of Chesterton. Our groundbreaking is on the horizon, and we look forward to bringing this new and expanded Club to the community,” states Smiley.
About 1st Source Bank
1st Source Corporation, parent company of 1st Source Bank, has assets of $5.11 billion and is the largest locally controlled financial institution headquartered in the northern Indiana-southwestern Michigan area. The Corporation includes 81 banking centers, 22 1st Source Bank Specialty Finance Group locations nationwide, eight Trust and Wealth Management locations and ten 1st Source Insurance offices. For more than 150 years, 1st Source has been committed to the success of the communities it serves. For more information, visit www.1stsource.com.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of Porter County
Boys & Girls Clubs of Porter County has been opening doors to GREAT FUTURES for Porter County’s youth since 1971. Clubs are open after school and provide a great place for youth in grades K-12 to meet friends and have fun while in a safe, supervised environment. When school is out, our Clubs are in! Clubs are open during holidays and in the summer. Annual membership is only $35.00. Financial assistance is available to those who qualify. For information on membership, volunteer opportunities, or to make a tax deductible donation to Boys & Girls Clubs of Porter County’s New Duneland Club, please contact your local Club, call (219) 464-7282 or visit bgcpoco.org/newclub. Great Futures Start HERE.