Lodi Boys and Girls Club might stay open

Although the Lodi Boys and Girls Club said earlier this month that they might have to close their doors after 55 years due to a lack of funding, the club may be able to stay open after all.

Mike Stokes, a member of the club’s board of directors, said the board will meet today to discuss the club’s future.

“Right now, it looks like we’re getting positive feedback and support from the community,” Stokes said on Tuesday.

Eddie Cotton, the club’s president and chief executive officer, said on Tuesday that they have already received between $25,000 and $30,000 in donations, putting them closer to their goal of between $100,000 and $150,000 they would need to keep their doors open through the end of the year.

“We’ve had a considerable amount of interest in helping this organization survive,” Cotton said. “Donations are starting to come in, we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

Cotton also started a GoFundMe page, he said, and on Sunday the Lodibased Legendary Barbershop — whose owner Cotton said attended the club as a child — will send barbers and stylists to cut and style hair at the club to help raise funds.

Cotton also hopes to have a program allowing people to donate on a monthly basis, he said, and the club is finalizing plans for additional fundraising efforts in the near future.

“We’re not out of the woods yet. Things are looking good, but we still want people to keep reaching out,” Cotton said. “Any amount they can donate — big or small — we really appreciate it. We want to make sure kids have a safe environment, some place they can come after school, just as they’ve done for 55 years.”

Jose Alvarez, 16, a student at the one.Lodi continuation school, said he has been coming to the club for the past 10 months where he enjoys relaxing and playing games with the younger children.

“It’s a great environment for kids, a good place to be,” Alvarez said. “They helped me get a job. There are a bunch of great people here. Very helpful.”

Miller Mayer, 11, a sixth-grader at Lawrence Elementary School, said he has been coming to the club for the past two years where he enjoys the snacks and variety of games and activities the club provides.

“I learned how to build robots with Legos,” Mayer said. “This place is really cool. More people should come here.”

Julie Senecal, 11, a sixth-grader at George Washington Elementary School, has been coming to the club for four or five years now and said she has made friends and enjoys being a member of their Torch club, which teaches children leadership through community service.

“We help the community,” Senecal said. “We recycle, we plant and water gardens. It’s really fun.”

Susan Dauber said her grandson — 9-year-old Dwayne who attends Erma B. Reese Elementary School as a third-grader — has been coming to the club since he was a first-grader, adding that she likes knowing that he can get help with his homework.

“It keeps him busy, and he loves coming here,” Dauber said as she dropped her grandson off on Tuesday afternoon. “He has a girlfriend here now, so he says.”