The mayor of Key West, Craig Cates, proclaimed March 27-31 as National Boys and Girls Club Week.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CITY OF KEY WEST

Staff Report

KEY WEST, Fla. – Key West Mayor Craig Cates proclaimed March 27-31 as National Boys and Girls Club Week, honoring the importance of the organization to local families and tomorrow’s leaders.

“Many young people need professional youth services to help them cope with a wide range of social and financial hardships,” read the proclamation.

It continued with “the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Keys area provide services to more than 450 young people annually and are at the forefront of efforts in substance abuse, mentoring, academic tutoring, arts and crafts, computer skills, life skills, recreation programs, cultural enrichment and community service, and literacy programs.”

The national Boys and Girls Club organization has approximately 2,000 clubs, serving more than three million children.

Dan Dombrowski, executive director of the program, thanked the commission for all of its support over the years. The members of the Boys and Girls Club presented the commissioners with coconuts painted with the club’s logo.