A capital campaign for The Place will end soon, but not without a "Dash to the Finish."
A steering committee for the capital campaign for The Place decided to end the almost 6-year fundraising drive in late May. Organizers hope to finish the campaign with a flurry of activity.
In 2009, an $8 million campaign to build one centralized location for The Boys and Girls Club has been ongoing. In 2013, "The Place" opened at 1026 E. Center St. in Rochester. "The Place," whose final cost neared $10 million, houses the Rochester Boys and Girls Club, Head Start, Child Resource and Referral, Tri-Valley Opportunity Council/Migrant and Seasonal Head Start and Bolder Options, a mentoring program. All the organizations located at "The Place" aim to serve area children.
The facility boasts 10 Head Start classrooms, a teen center equipped with foosball and pool tables, two rooms dedicated to the performance and visual arts and a computer lab staffed by people offering homework help.
Fundraising for the center and its operational budget will end next month, but not before some more events aimed at raising money for "The Place." Six years into the campaign, only $200,000 is left to raise.
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At 2 p.m. on April 25, there will be color dash starting at the Olmsted Medical Center's Northwest Clinic. In addition, there will a few more invitation-only house parties and longtime supporters of the Boys and Girls Club.
"Our goal is to be debt-free, said Jodi Millerbernd, executive director of the Boys and Girls Club of Rochester. "We want all of the dollars we raise in the future to better the lives of the kids who come to The Place."
