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07/31/08 Groundbreaking for New Student Life Center

July 31, 2008 marked another milestone in the life of Boys and Girls Country with the groundbreaking for a new Student Life Center.  This long awaited building will house a new gym, rooms for arts and crafts, music, and counseling.  In addition, there will be space for an education center, additional tutoring, and a library.  The Center is sure to become the "hub of activity" for the Boys and Girls Country campus.     

Groundbreaking Participants Left to Right Include - Tom Brown, Hamill Foundation; Peggy Cook Pool, Kelly Gene Cook, Sr. Charitable Foundation; Lou Davis, Calvert Foundation; Russ Clark, Architect; Mike Gatewood, Board Chair; Robert Kneppler, Chair of the Capital Campaign; Piero Pretto, President of the Normative Leadership Council; Shirley Wright, Executive Director; Quintes Stark, Director of Maintenance and Ranch Operations

The Student Life Center will be built by funds raised in the capital campaign, Growing for the Future.  This $8 million campaign, currently underway, will also fund a new swimming pool along with covering the cost of other vital improvments to our campus.  Says Mike Gatewood, Chair of the Board, "We are very pleased to reach the last phase of the master plan through the building of this new facility.  We are grateful for the supporters of our capital campaign who will make this happen." 

More important than the physical structures, the campaign will provide space for children to develop healthy exercise habits, develop their talents through education, reading, music, and the arts, and address their emotional needs through counseling so they develop to their full potential.  Says Shirley Wright, Executive Director, "The Student Life Center will give us the space we have needed for volunteers to bring their talents and enrich the lives of our children.  With the continuing development in this area of Houston, we have a chance to make use of the rich talents of our new neighbors and benefit our youth."