SAFFORD — The good news Wednesday at the Boys & Girls Club of the Gila Valley’s Justin Gaethje Golf Tournament at Mt. Graham Golf Course wasn’t just that a full field was playing, or that the number of sponsors had increased.
The big news was that the local club has received an infusion of $100,000 from Boys & Girls Clubs of America, following the Safford club’s merger with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson.
“We can keep our doors open and serve the community,” said Brittany Dean, CEO for Boys and Girls Club of the Gila Valley. “We will be working closely with Tucson.”
Dean said the local staff will undergo additional training, which will result in increased programming offered at the local club.
– David Bell Photo/Gila Valley Central
In May, the club informed the City of Safford of the Tucson merger, following what one local board member called “a very, very rough year for the Boys and Girls Club” and that the club suffered “a significant budget shortfall.”
Safford provides the building and utility service for the local club, as well as pays the rent on the land used as the club’s playground.
Dean said the Tucson clubs helped secure many of the tee and hole sponsorships at Wednesday’s golf tournament, and that Gaethje himself secured a $10,000 sponsorship from Hiya Health.
In addition, Ginaveve’s Market Place was the breakfast sponsor and Open Loop Energy was the cart sponsor, which, combined with registration fees and raffle ticket purchases, resulted in $30,780 raised for the club from the golf tournament.
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