Boys & Girls Clubs celebrates expansion to Golden West campus

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Huntington Valley celebrated the grand opening of its new Pacific Life Foundation branch and Harry & Jaynne Boand Gymnasium on Tuesday.

The buildings, which opened earlier this month on the Golden West College campus in Huntington Beach, are exclusive to the club, their $12.6-million price covered by donors including Kingston Technology, the Pacific Life Foundation and the Boand family, said Tanya Hoxsie, spokesperson for the club, which has five other locations in Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley.

She said the club signed a 50-year land lease for a two-acre parcel — with plans to construct a preschool, club and gym — at the college in 2008 when it decided to operate a preschool on the campus. The preschool opened in 2011.

“The college was running a preschool on campus for their students, and they realized that they aren’t in the business for that, so we stepped in,” Hoxsie said. “For us, having kids grow up on a college campus is a natural next step. For children who might be first-generation college, it’s not this scary world.”

Guests toured the two new facilities on Tuesday and learned about the branch’s services, which include adult-supervised programs, a dedicated space for kindergartners, a teen activity area, performing arts classes and day camps during school breaks and most holidays.

The gymnasium provides space for kids to play sports and for the club to expand its youth basketball league.

Boys & Girls Clubs officials said this is the first time it has had offerings on a college campus, adding that the location will help parents who have gone back to school have a safe space to leave their kids for a few hours.

About 2,500 youths, primarily from the Ocean View School District, are expected to use the new facilities. About 75% of them will come from low-income households, Hoxsie said.