A former member of the Boys & Girls Club of Rochester, Xavier Passe, 15, was curious when he saw some of his friends passing out Club On The Go fliers in his neighborhood.
With the club's main Center Street location closed for remodeling and expansion, the Boys & Girls Club is running "on the go" summer programs at McQuillan Field, Oak Terrace and Slatterly Park. The goal is to keep kids, especially those who can't always make it to the club's northwest site, involved in Boys & Girls Club programming during the construction.
So not only did Passe help his friends distribute the fliers, he's also been a regular participant in the activities such as dodge ball and Drip, Drip, Splash, a version of Duck, Duck, Grey Duck played with water at McQuillan Field.
If he wasn't at the park, Passe said, he'd be sleeping.
Four staff members are assigned to the on-the-go programming, which is free and open to all kids ages 6 to 18, not only club members, said Ellen Hamernik, director of organizational impact.
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So far, the program has included outdoor recreation and arts and crafts with the kids directing what types of activities they are interested in, she said. However, the intention is to do some Boys & Girls Club programming as well as providing a place to come hang out with staff, have a snack and play games, she said.
Because the on-the-go programming runs Mondays through Thursdays, there's also the possibility of adding special events and outings on Fridays, Hamernik said.
Hamernik said the on-the-go programs are just one way to keep kids involved. This spring a bus brought club members from southeast Rochester to the northwest site. Next fall, the club is looking at holding after-school activities at various sites in southeast Rochester, she said.
