On May 9, at 3:30 p.m., Adam Weitsman and his family will help to break ground on a new teen center being built at the Boys and Girls Club on Erie Street in Owego. According to the club\u2019s CEO, Jill Smith Teeter, the new teen center will round out the amenities at the club, and will give area teens a positive place to grow.<\/p>\n
The addition to the existing club of the teen center was kickstarted by the Weitsman family, who donated $100,000 to the project with the promise of a fundraising match.<\/p>\n
Abbey Ortu, community development specialist with Tioga County Economic Development and Planning, provided support and technical assistance with the grant process for the match.<\/p>\n
To date, the Floyd Hooker Foundation, the Community Foundation for the Twin Tiers, the Community Foundation for South Central New York, BAE Systems, the Mildred Truman Faulkner Foundation, Visions Cares through Visions Federal Credit Union, and the Tioga State Bank Foundation have granted funds.<\/p>\n
Providing in-kind services for the project are Jason Bellis from Larson Design, who donated engineering services; and Seamus Cerretani, who is donating the materials for the foundation. PJF Enterprises Inc. of Owego will be constructing the center and has also donated some extras.<\/p>\n
With construction beginning after the groundbreaking, Teeter hopes to have a grand opening at the facility within a couple of months.<\/p>\n
Of the center, Teeter stated that although they have a lot of activities for both children and adults, they didn\u2019t have a dedicated space for teens.<\/p>\n
\u201cTeens need adults to connect with,\u201d said Teeter, adding, \u201cOne adult can change a child\u2019s life.\u201d<\/p>\n
The club already sees a lot of participation, welcoming 40-50 youths at night. The addition of the teen center will round out the services available through the club, and will carry out the legacy that the Weitsman family began close to 80 years ago.<\/p>\n
It was at that time, and in 1945, that local businessman Ben Weitsman founded the club and when asked why, he replied, \u201cI\u2019m making a place so that you and all of your friends will always have a place to play.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since then, many contributions from community members have shaped \u201cThe Club\u201d into what it is today; a safe place for kids.<\/p>\n
Adam Weitsman, Ben\u2019s grandson and owner of Upstate Shredding and Ben Weitsman & Son, continues to invest in youth in the community in addition to other philanthropic ventures. When the talk about adding a teen center came up, Adam was on board, donating $100,000 to the club contingent on a match of funds.<\/p>\n
Adam, who will be front and center at the groundbreaking, spoke of his contribution to the project, and what it means to his family and his hometown.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur family loves Owego, and we always want to see it grow and flourish,\u201d said Adam, adding, \u201cOur kids are our future, and helping to provide a safe place for them to go has always been our family\u2019s goal. We were pleased to be able to help out with this expansion.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to the club\u2019s Mission Statement, the club enables all young people to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. The teen center will further expand this mission.<\/p>\n
With 15,000 square feet of space with two gyms, a fitness center, and an area designed specifically for kids under the age of 13, the new teen center will be built off of the front, and by the Erie Street entrance of the club.<\/p>\n
For more information on club membership and programs, visit https:\/\/www.tiogabgca.org\/ or call the club at (607) 687-0690. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
On May 9, at 3:30 p.m., Adam Weitsman and his family will help to break ground on a new teen center being built at the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":95675,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-95674","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n