For 50 years, the Bay City chapter of the Boys and Girls Club of the Great Lakes Bay Region has provided a haven for local youth, offering structured programming and growth opportunities. And in recent years, under the leadership of a former “club kid,” the organization is experiencing a renaissance.
The current unit director, Gib Garcia, a retired educator who spent 28 years teaching in Bay City Public Schools, has a unique connection to the facility. He first walked through its doors as a young member when the building opened in 1976.
“This place means a lot to me because as a kid, a Bay City kid, I grew up within these walls,” Garcia said. “I walked into a brand-new building in ’76 and lived my youth through here and built relationships with friends that I still have to this day.”
The Bay City location is one of five clubs in the Great Lakes Bay region, which includes Bay City, Essexville, Saginaw, and Pinconning. Each club has a unit director and assistant, with staffing adjusted based on membership and daily attendance.
Two years ago, when approached about becoming director, Garcia decided to retire from education to “give back to the building that provided me with so much.” Upon returning after a 20-year absence, he found the club “needed some help” with structure and discipline.
“I looked around and said, ‘This place needs some TLC, and it needs to provide kids the same things that were provided to me,’” he recalled.
The results have been remarkable. Daily attendance has surged from about 25 children to between 90 and 100 this summer, with membership growing from double to triple digits. Much of this growth has come through word of mouth.
“People that had attended as kids are stopping back in and saying, ‘We heard a club kid is running this, so we’re going to send our kids here because we know what it’s going to provide for them,’” Garcia said.
His assistant, Chris Tomczak, is also a former club member and retired social worker. Together, they’ve expanded programming while maintaining the club’s core mission.
“We just brainstorm on what we want to provide for kids, what we want our club kids to experience when they’re here,” Garcia said.
The club offers diverse activities including STEM education, literacy programs like “Summer Brain Game,” technology instruction, media production, and a recently formed esports team. They’ve also developed community partnerships, with the YMCA providing swimming instruction, alumni teaching boxing and pickleball, and organizations offering tennis and line dancing lessons.
The club serves children ages 6 to 18, though most current members are 14 or younger. During the school year, Bay City Public Schools provides transportation from elementary schools to the club, where children receive meals, homework help, social time, physical activity, and specialized programming.
Summer memberships cost $50 for the entire season (June through August), while school-year memberships are also $50 (September through May). Summer hours are from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday, with school-year hours running from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Parents can register their children online by visiting the Boys and Girls Club website.
Garcia said he credits the club’s founders, including Tom Burt, who spearheaded funding for the building, and Don Hutchens, who later took over leadership.
“I owe it to them to service kids and take care of kids and make sure that the club is doing what it was intended to do and (create a) safe place to have opportunities to grow as humans and be surrounded by caring people,” he said.
Looking ahead, Garcia remains optimistic about the club’s trajectory: “I had a five-year plan, and two years in, we’re on our way.”
Joey Oliver | MLive