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Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester Holds Lights On Afterschool Rally in Nationwide Effort
Event calls attention to the importance of afterschool programs for Westchester youth

Mt. Kisco, NY (October 27, 2009) – On October 22, the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester sponsored a Lights On Afterschool rally -- one of more than 7,500 such events around the nation – to call the attention to the importance of afterschool programs for America's children. More than 130 Club members, ages 3 to 18, filled the Club's gymnasium. Guest speakers included Youth of the Month Jazmine Dessaure, Mike Simco, House Coordinator of Fox Lane Middle School, and Mt. Kisco Mayor J. Michael Cindrich. The program also included an art exhibit, dance performances, and essay contest, as well as the Club's monthly "Be Great" celebration honoring new Youths of the Month.

In America today, 1 in 4 youth – approximately 14.3 million children -- are alone and unsupervised after school. The Club's afterschool program, the "Fun Club," provides opportunities to help young people develop into successful adults. Rally speakers called for expanding afterschool opportunities so that every child who needs a program has access to one. They also addressed the harm that results from budget cuts and freezes.

"The Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester is an afterschool haven and absolute necessity for so many Westchester youth," said Barbara Cutri, the Club's Director of Operations. "An occasion such as this brings us even closer to our mission."

Many of the Club's current employees, former members themselves, spoke about how the non-profit has helped shaped their lives and mold them into who they are today. Current members put into words what the organization means to them in the Club's essay contest. The younger children also showcased their talents with a dance routine they choreographed while at the Club.

Cutri continued, "By meeting and observing successful adults such as Mayor Cindrich, a former Club member himself, the children are driven to see their own potential and to set out a path of success for themselves." After his proclamation, Mayor Cindrich showed children his original Club membership card from the 1950s.

The Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester is located at 351 Main Street, Mt. Kisco, NY and can be reached at (914) 666-8069 or by visiting www.bgcnw.com. To contact the Club's Teen Center, located at 317 Main Street in Mt. Kisco, please call (914) 733-0033.

About the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester
The Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester was established in 1939 as a place for "boys to get off the streets." It is a non-profit organization dedicated to inspiring and enabling young people, especially those who need it most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens. Located in Mt. Kisco, NY, the 36,000-square-foot facility features an eight-lane pool, Child Care Center, gymnasium, games room, and two computer labs, and an additional 1,600-foot Teen Center facility. The Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester serves 2,500 youths, boys and girls ages 6 months to 18 years, from more than 60 Northern Westchester communities. The Club has been ranked among the outstanding Clubs in the national network of Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

Press Contacts: Kelly Lee, Co-Communications, 914-666-0066, kelly@cocommunications.com

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Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester
351 Main Street, Mt. Kisco, New York 10549 (914) 666-8069