Boys & Girls Club receives new grant

The Boys & Girls Club of the Flathead Reservation and Lake County has announced a grant that will be utilized at the new Ronan location.

The Dr. Pepper Snapple Group (DPS) and KaBOOM!, a national nonprofit, awarded the club a Let’s Play Community Construction Grant, which will be used to enhance an outside play area, set to open this fall.

The Community Build Date is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 12.

“The addition of the play structure is a critical part of promoting healthy lifestyles, one of the key outcomes for the Boys & Girls Club,” says Aric Cooksley, executive director of the Boys & Girls Club.

“In our mind, play is a required piece of childhood, not just a luxury,” Cooksley said. “Especially as we move into this new facility, this play structure will be used by many kids for many years to come.”

Let’s Play is an initiative by DPS that provides funding, equipment and play spaces to help children and families make active play a daily priority.

The new clubhouse, located at 62579 U.S. Highway 93 in Ronan, is anticipated to serve up to 200 children, ages 6-18 years, daily.

The Boys & Girls Club recently announced another grant for $1 million to help with the construction of a new clubhouse in Polson, on the corner of Second Street West and 17th Avenue.

Through 2019, DPS has committed $38.5 million to Let’s Play, impacting youth-serving organizations through not only the United States, but also Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.