End-of-summer fun

Boys and Girls Clubs hold event for teenagers at Main Event

The Boys and Girls Clubs of Lorain County hosted an end-of-summer event Aug. 1 for their summer camp teenagers featuring a myriad of activities at Main Event, 35605 Chester Road in Avon.

“This is something nice that we like to do for our teenagers toward the end of the summertime,” said Diane Crumley, education coordinator for the Clubs. “This includes kids who are seventh-grade and older from all of our locations.

“We have 70 teens here in total.”

Crumley said she was glad Boys and Girls Clubs of Lorain County partnered with Main Event.

“The goal was to find something that the kids hadn’t done before,” she said. “We know for people, especially our Wellington kids, they might not have been here today.

“We like to think of those venues. We also knew this was a place they would enjoy going. From there, we set up a partnership with Main Event, toured the facility and worked on pricing.

“This allowed the kids to have unlimited bowling, laser tag, $10 worth of arcade play and lunch.”

Crumley said the teenager programming is different than what the Boys and Girls Clubs have for younger children.

“We have different educational programming really focusing on decision making,” she said. “We focus on how they can advance themselves and achieve their goals.

“It’s a situation where we have the same kids as they grow up from our younger kids programs to the teen level. They become wellversed with the Clubs.”

Crumley said there is fluidity with teenager involvement with the Boys and Girls Clubs.

“They start to have busier schedules when they get into high school,” she said. “They join clubs or sports teams that start to take up a lot of their time.

“Due to their schedules, teenagers have more of a drop-in style. Teenagers in the Boys and Girls Clubs stay involved because of the friends they have made and fellowship with one another.”

The Boys and Girls Clubs hosted a field day for kindergarten to sixth-grade students July 30 at Lorain County Community College.

“Teenagers in the Boys and Girls Clubs stay involved because of the friends they have made and fellowship with one another.” — Diane Crumley, education coordinator for the Clubs

ZACHARY SRNIS —THE MORNING JOURNAL Boys and Girls Clubs of Lorain County members Jila Harvey, 15, left, Daijah Smith, 14, and Tatyanna Hale, 14, all Elyria residents, play a racing game Aug. 1 at Main Event in Avon.