B&G Club Gift Telmate Argus (1)

ONTARIO – The Boys & Girls Club of Western Treasure Valley is kicking off its annual GREAT Futures campaign with gusto thanks to a $15,000 gift from local business and inmate communications leader, Telmate.

The GREAT Futures campaign raises funds to sponsor kids 1st Girls Club summer session and provide quality after school programs like Power Hour homework help, arts and crafts, fitness and sports, as well as making sure no child goes hungry by providing them a hot meal. Scheduled to run through mid-April, the campaign seeks donations from individuals and businesses. This year’s campaign chair is former county Sheriff Andy Bentz whose goal is to raise $60,000 for the Club. “Everyone from the Board of Directors, Club volunteers, and Club staff have all personally donated to the campaign. Together they have given a total of $22,000 which I think really shows how invested they are. And now thanks to the generosity of Telmate our campaign has raised $37,000. All we need now is the rest of our community to show their support and we will be able to reach our goal.”

“It’s an honor to partner with the Boys & Girls Club,” says Telmate President and local resident, Kevin O’Neil. “They really make a difference in the lives of kids in our community.” Telmate is proud to have been founded in Ontario, Oregon and now has offices in both Oregon and California and is the third largest inmate communications provider in the U.S. thanks to their customer service and cutting-edge technologies.

In 2012, the Boys & Girls Club was averaging 93 kids a day and now in their new location average 123 kids a day. “The Club is making a difference in the community,” added Bentz. “That is 123 of our kids involved in positive activities and getting help on their school work and staying out of trouble.”

“We can either support the Club and its kids or keep paying the high cost of other services that are not positive for the kids or the greater communities,” said Bentz. “The actual cost of providing the Boys & Girls Club experience for one kid for a year is about $600. Compare that to what it costs when a kid goes in the wrong direction and drops out or becomes a teen parent and ends up with lifelong governmental support of all types, you can see The Club is a great return on your investment.”

“I cannot think of a better investment in our children and community than the Boys and Girls Club of the Western Treasure Valley, it just fits so well with some of the other great projects taking shape here,” Bentz said. If you would like to invest in local kids through the GREAT Futures campaign, contact Matt Sorensen at (541) 889-7979 or visit www.bgcwtv.org to donate online.