The Boys & Girls Club of Elizabethton/Carter County hosted a special event Thursday afternoon to allow the community to see recent renovations completed at the club.

A special Grand Re-Opening was held at the Club with personalized tours provided by enthusiastic club members.

During the event, the Club showcased its new art room and new tech room along with updates to the game room and an overall new paint job and facelift for the facility. The renovations were made possibly by the generosity and support of community groups and local businesses, said Executive Director Ginny Wright.

Most of the Club’s interior was repainted, and the games rooms received upgrades courtesy of the Rotary Club of Elizabethton’s district grant.

Walmart of Elizabethton provided the Club’s new computer lab with updated technology to enhance the Club’s homework help program.

The Elizabethton/Carter County Community Foundation and Variety Club of East Tennessee joined forces to complete the renovation of the art room.

The projects also received the support of many individuals and families in the community to make all the improvements possible.

As she spoke to those in attendance on Thursday, Wright shared a recent experience she had while driving through town. She was behind a school bus, and as she watched the students getting off the bus and walking to their homes, she noticed a woman walking into the street to greet and hug her son as he stepped off the bus. As she watched, Wright said she began to think of when her mother would greet her as she got off the bus and began to wonder where were the people to greet the other children as they walked home.

As few minutes, later Wright said she arrived at the Boys & Girls Club in time to see the club members getting off the bus. As they walked through the door, one of the staff members was standing there, greeting each student by name and given out hugs and high fives.

Wright said it hit home for her that the Club was that welcoming place for the students.

“It’s telling every kid they have a place to go,” Wright said. “They have space, and they are welcome, and they are important.”

Completing the renovations to the Club, especially with the help and dedication of so many members of the community, helps to reinforce that message.

“Our new art room tells Emily that her dreams put on paper are important,” Wright said. “Our new tech room tells Robert that helping him with his homework is important.”

For more information on the Boys & Girls Club, or how you can get involved in making a difference in the life of a child, contact the Club at 423-543-2946 or visit them online at www.bgcecc.org.