HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Boys and Girls Club of Hutchinson is preparing for the 2025-26 school year while also accelerating plans to expand into Salina after receiving a $500,000 challenge gift.
CEO Lance Patterson said enrollment for the upcoming year is nearly full, with a few spots remaining in select grades. Parents can register at bgcHutch.com and join a waitlist if their child’s grade level has reached capacity.
The club also received welcome news when $300,000 in federal 21st Century Community Learning Center funding was reinstated after being unexpectedly frozen earlier this summer.
“That was a huge relief,” Patterson said. “We were sweating there for a little bit. Everything we had planned for the upcoming school year had to be reevaluated. Fortunately, we didn’t have to make any changes because those funds became available.”
The recent half-million-dollar challenge gift will allow the organization to begin serving children in Salina earlier than expected. For every dollar donated to the club’s endowment, a matching dollar in operating funds will be provided, creating up to $500,000 for startup costs.
Patterson said the Hutchinson club will oversee the new site because Boys and Girls Clubs of America does not charter new organizations, only new locations under existing clubs.
“It comes down to sustainability,” Patterson said. “Established organizations have all the policies and systems in place, which makes the chances of success much higher. Salina will essentially operate as its own club with separate funding and resources, but legally it will remain part of Hutchinson’s organization.”
The expansion fulfills a long-held vision for Salina educator Millie Moy, who has advocated for a Boys and Girls Club in the community for more than 20 years.
“She’s had this dream for decades,” Patterson said. “About three years ago she gathered a group that was determined to make it happen. They reached out to us, and we’ve been working together ever since.”
The new site is expected to open at Oakdale Elementary School in Salina. The $500,000 gift, provided through the Augustine Family Trust, will fund about two and a half years of operations while building the club’s long-term endowment.
The Boys and Girls Club of Hutchinson is celebrating its 35th year in the community and remains the westernmost location in Kansas. Patterson said the organization’s impact is best reflected in stories like that of Alliyah Gray, a former Kansas Youth of the Year who now serves as the club’s resource development and marketing coordinator.
“She always dreamed of giving back to the club that helped her,” Patterson said. “Now she’s telling the story of the Boys and Girls Club to the next generation of kids.”