WKYC will host a daylong telethon to support the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio.
In August, BGCNEO announced it would not reopen 22 Clubs during the 2024-2025 school year due to the loss of $3 million in federal funding. Cuyahoga and Lorain counties were most impacted by the closures, with Cuyahoga losing nine clubs and Lorain losing eight clubs. However, in early September, the Ohio Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs reallocated some its own funding to help reopen BGCNEO Clubs in Akron, Elyria, Ashtabula, Wellington and Garfield Heights.
It costs at least $120,000 a year to operate a single Club location, according to BGCNEO. Leadership previously told The Land they would not reopen a site unless a full-year of funding was secured.
BGCNEO CEO Allen Smith said even with a smaller footprint, the organization will be able to serve additional kids this fall by increasing capacity at sites that are now limited by staff size.
With 17 Clubs still shuttered for this school year, the telethon will hope to close the gap in funding. Throughout the daylong programming, viewers will be shown BGCNEO programming and viewers will be asked to donate by phone or line. Each donation of at least $25 will be automatically entered into a drawing for two tickets to any Ohio State University football home game or any Cleveland Browns home game, except the Nov. 21 contest against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Day of Giving page is now live here. Oswald Companies is making an initial $10,000 donation to the cause and urges other to donate as well.
“Oswald Companies is proud to support this telethon to benefit BCGNEO,” Chairman and CEO Robert J. Klonk said in a statement. “We encourage the community to take part and help restore needed staffing and services.”
“We are so grateful for the commitment Oswald Companies and WKYC Studios have shown for the kids in our community during this challenging time,” Smith said in a statement. “I hope folks will be inspired not just by the programming we offer but also by the generosity of those who support our Clubs.”
Members at Boys & Girls Clubs are between the ages of 6 and 18. They get a safe place to go in the summer and a free daily meal, the organization said. Adult mentors help attendees learn about sports, the arts and career readiness. There is no charge to join a Club. A survey conducted by the organization showed that members have higher graduation rates, academic scores and are more likely to participate in community service than peers.
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