DAYTON — The Rhea County Boys and Girls Club opened for business on Tuesday and immediately set records across the region for the number of children signing up for the club and attending on opening day, according to club officials.
Rhea County Boys and Girls Club Board of Directors President Dustin Henderson said on opening day, the local club had 36 children in attendance.
“Opening day went fantastic,” Henderson said. “We had 36 in attendance, and that turned out to be a record attendance for any opening day across the Ocoee Region that covers six counties and 17 different clubs. We can’t thank the community enough for being so supportive to get this club off the ground. The good news is the best is yet to come!”
Rhea County Boys and Girls Club Unit Director Nicki Bentley said that even though the club set a record on opening day with 36, that attendance figure has only continued to climb over the next few days. On Thursday, she said that there were 42 children at the club that day.
“We started off strong on opening day, and it’s only gotten better from there,” Bentley said. “We’ve got a great staff and group of children, so it’s already been a very rewarding experience.”
Community support, donors and city government officials, Bentley said, were also instrumental in getting the club up and running.
“We really couldn’t have done it without the community and everyone’s support,” she said. “The Rhea County community and the regional Boys and Girls Club really came together to make this something special.”
Bentley was named the local unit director in April. She has a background in business management, accounting and project management, club officials said, and Bentley brings a wealth of experience to her new role. Her dedication to community service and leadership skills were evident during her involvement with the newly created Rhea County Boys and Girls Club board, officials said, where she played a pivotal role.
“I am very excited about the start of the Rhea County Unit. The board has done a great job on jump-starting it, and we have come a long way in a short period of time,” Britt Debusk, Director of Operations for Boys and Girls Clubs of Ocoee remarked, “Nicki was a big part of this, worked super hard and did a lot of good work on the Price is Right fund raiser that was planned and executed in six weeks. I am excited about the work she will do in the lives of the kids in the Rhea County community.”
The local Boys and Girls Club raised nearly $27,000 at its inaugural fundraising banquet in late April. During the event, club officials also announced that the newest chapter in the Boys and Girls Club of the Ocoee Region will set up shop in two currently vacant classrooms inside the Chattanooga State Community College building near the Rhea County Community Center, or RC3. Those rooms are now home to operations of the Rhea County Boys and Girls Club.
Next up for the Rhea County Boys and Girls Club is a joint event with RC3, a free youth rally on Sunday, June 9, from 1 to 6 p.m. at the club’s site on Fourth Avenue.
“This event will be hosted by Monkeytown Inflatables and Destin to Chill,” Bentley said. “The Boys and Girls Clubs of the Ocoee Region-Rhea Unit and RC3 will also be participating with our boards, volunteers and children.”
The event will have approximately eight inflatables, Bentley said, and Destin to Chill will also be on location providing ice cream to the students as well. She said that RC3 and the Boys and Girls Clubs will be onsite providing music and bottled water as well as some small games to occupy the parents.
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