Salisbury Boys & Girls Club in "final push"

Jim Sullivan, The Daily News of Newburyport, Mass.
·3 min read

Mar. 9—SALISBURY — It may have taken a couple of years but the Boys and Girls Club of Lower Merrimack Valley's $1 million capital campaign is close to complete.

The Maple Street club embarked upon its $1 million "A Vision for Their Future" capital campaign in late 2019. Jim Keenan is the club's executive director and said he needs "just a little over" $50,000 to bring the capital campaign to a successful close.

"We're in the final push," Keenan said.

The capital campaign is asking for $400,000 to upgrade the former Salisbury Elementary School, which the club calls home, as well as $300,000 to fund scholarships for financially challenged members and an additional $300,000 to fund a permanent endowment.

The club has already spent roughly $150,000 on constructing a secure entranceway, and Keenan and company have also begun work on reconstructing the gymnasium.

"The gymnasium is about a $100,000 project and it has been totally repainted. We also have a new floor and all new backboards and baskets," he said.

Keenan added that he expects a gym divider to be installed within the next 30 days and he also hopes to have a new phone, intercom and security system set up before the summer program begins in June.

With its capital campaign only about $50,000 from being complete, the club is now reaching out to friends, families and fans through email and social media blasts to see if it can cross the finish line soon.

Castagna Construction founder Ralph Castagna has put up $10,000 and he intends to match anything that comes in from the recent email and social media blasts, Keenan said.

"Hopefully, that will be another $20,000 by the end of March," Keenan said.

He also said people can donate to the capital campaign on the club's website at www.bgclmv.org/, or they can drop off or send a check to the club at 18 Maple St., Salisbury, MA, 01952.

Keenan thanked The Provident Bank, Newburyport Bank and the Institution for Savings for their continued support during the capital campaign. Keenan also thanked Castagna, ARC Technologies founder Dan Healey, SPS New England Chairman and CEO Wayne Capolupo, Stephen Lynch, the Ray Bourque Foundation, the HRH Foundation and the NAID Charitable Foundation for their generous contributions as well.

The Boys & Girls Club's after-school program is now back to its pre-COVID-19 pandemic enrollment numbers, according to Keenan, who added that registration for the summer program begins April 1.

"Our numbers are back where they should be and that is a great sign for us moving forward," he said.

Staff writer Jim Sullivan covers Amesbury and Salisbury for The Daily News. He can be reached via email at jsullivan@newburyportnews.com or by phone at 978-961-3145. Follow him on Twitter @ndnsully.

Staff writer Jim Sullivan covers Amesbury and Salisbury for The Daily News. He can be reached via email at jsullivan@newburyportnews.com or by phone at 978-961-3145. Follow him on Twitter @ndnsully.