For 20 years, the Marguerite Neel Williams Boys and Girls Club of Thomasville has been providing a place for kids to be happy, be healthy and be welcomed.

It’s also given the thousands — and that is not an understatement — of young boys and girls who have clambered through its doors more than just warm smiles and hellos and hugs. It’s given them a structure, something other than a physical building, for their lives in the future. It’s given those children a roadmap they can follow to be something positive as adults.

Each year, approximately 1,200 boys and girls, anywhere from 6 to 18 years old, come to the Club. There, they have programs in five core areas — character and leadership development, education and career development, health and life skills, the arts and sports, fitness and recreation. The same holds true for the Jackie Robinson Boys and Girls Club in Cairo, which will celebrate 10 years later this year.

The need for the Boys and Girls Club and what it offers remains great in the community. Thomas County’s teen pregnancy rate compared to other counties is high, pointed out Executive Director Lee Wagner. There are still thousands of kids living at or below the poverty level and the graduation rate also lags.

The building on Stevens Street wasn’t ready yet when the Boys and Girls Club opened its first doors, in a warehouse off Campbell Street. That was just temporary housing until the permanent home was ready.

The Youth Center and the Teen Center adjacent to it, which opened in 2007, have seen a lot of traffic. They are in good shape, but thousands and thousands of young feet and hands can put wear and tear on the sturdiest of the buildings, be it on the ping pong tables, basketball courts, or even the dance studio and art and technology rooms. 

The goal now is to serve even more children. “As long as there are kids and families in need, our services will continue to be in need,” Wagner said. 

Though the Boys and Girls Club bears the name of a late benefactor and founder, it still relies heavily on donations and grants. This year, one of its biggest fundraisers, the annual steak and burger night, is being retooled to help celebrate 20 years in the community on June 4 at the Ritz Amphitheater.

The club, Wagner said, has exceeded expectations from 20 years ago. Its mission is to help the children of the community succeed. It is as a noble cause as any and we agree it deserves the support of the community it unfailingly serves.