Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson
Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson is a community resource serving Tucsonans in need.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson
Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson is a community resource serving young people across Tucson, with a mission to provide a clear path toward reaching their full potential and pursuing their dreams. The organization focuses especially on young people who need its support most, offering Clubhouse programs, after-school programs, and summer camp programs. Its work is carried out through neighborhood-based Clubhouses and community partnerships throughout Tucson, with an additional Gila Valley Clubhouse in Safford.
The organization's Tucson locations include the Frank & Edith Morton Clubhouse on the Doolen Middle School campus, the Holmes Tuttle Clubhouse at Pueblo Gardens Park, the Jim & Vicki Click Clubhouse at Roberts Elementary School, the Pascua Yaqui Clubhouse at Torim Park, the Roy Drachman Clubhouse at Mission Park, and the Steve Daru Clubhouse at Joaquin Murrieta Park. Together, these sites serve communities in Midtown, South Tucson, the Pascua Yaqui community, Sunnyside, and the Speedway and El Rio area. The organization also highlights the new Holmes Tuttle Teen Tech & Workforce Readiness Center as part of its current work.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson traces its roots to a meeting on November 27, 1956, when A. H. Fahringer of Boys Clubs of America met with a Lions Club committee to discuss organizing a boys club. The Boys Club of Tucson was incorporated on August 21, 1957, with Judge Norman E. Green as its first president. The organization's first facilities and programs developed through the support of Tucson civic groups, donors, and community members, including the Lions Club and Catalina Optimist Club.
The organization grew through the merger of two local clubs in December 1970. On January 11, 1971, the combined group became incorporated as the Boys Clubs of Tucson. In 1985, the corporation adopted the name Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson to reflect the scope of services it provided to all youth. The corporate name was formally changed to Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson, Inc. in November 1988. Over the following decades, additional Clubhouses opened or expanded through collaborations and contributions from Tucson families, businesses, civic organizations, schools, and local government.
Several locations carry the names of people whose support shaped the organization. The Roy Drachman Clubhouse opened at Mission Park in 1992, after modular buildings from the Steve Daru site were refurbished for use there. A gymnasium and permanent activity center followed with support from the Tucson Conquistadores, the City, Pima County, and donors. The Pascua Yaqui program began at the request of the Tribal Council in 1999 and later moved into its own building at Torim Park. The Frank & Edith Morton Clubhouse opened in 2003 through an endowment created by Frank Morton, and it operates collaboratively with Tucson Unified School District. The Jim & Vicki Click Clubhouse, another collaboration with Tucson Unified, opened at Roberts Elementary School in 2008.
People who want to connect with Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson can learn about its Clubhouse programs, after-school offerings, summer camps, events, volunteer opportunities, and partnership options through the organization. Support is also available through individual giving and donations. The organization's website provides information about its locations, safety, staff, board, alumni, annual reports, and finance information, giving Tucson families and community supporters several ways to understand and participate in its work.