Boys and Girls Clubs of Bloomington celebrates 70 years, cites membership growth and program expansion

The Boys and Girls Clubs of Bloomington used its annual "Eat, Thank, Love" luncheon to celebrate 70 years of operation and to outline recent growth in membership, programming and finances. "This is my favorite club day of the year," said Lehi Absher, the club's CEO, as she opened the event and described a throwback membership card that symbolizes the organization's local legacy.

Absher said 3,217 children were registered club members in 2025, an increase of 941 from the previous year, and that the club served as many as 708 children on a typical day across six (reported) club sites. "We are the second largest daily food provider to kids in Monroe County behind only the school systems," she said, adding that partnerships with Community Kitchen and Hoosierfields Food Bank helped the club provide 62,184 meals and snacks in 2025.

The luncheon highlighted initiatives to deepen educational impact. Jack Lasky, vice president of youth development, said the organization expanded to seven sites across Monroe and Owen counties and reported that the summer learning lab — a state-supported program the club ran — provided five weeks of full-day programming for 267 rising first- through eighth-graders, delivering roughly 90 minutes of literacy and 75 minutes of math instruction daily. Lasky said participating students showed average gains of about 20% in English language arts and about 12% in math over the five-week period.

Lasky also announced a Camp Rock expansion: a ceremonial groundbreaking in August 2025 launched construction of a new Camp Rock building at Lake Lemon that he said will allow the club to serve 50 additional campers per day by 2027.

A finance briefing at the luncheon detailed the club's 2025 revenue mix. "Our operating revenue reached $4,100,000," said Matt Gargiulo, the club's vice president of finance, who reported that roughly $2,300,000 (56%) came from individuals and local businesses and about $1,200,000 (29%) from competitive grants and government partners. He said the year closed with a net positive of nearly $53,000.

Resource development staff described fundraising and donor engagement that supported those numbers. Darcy Casey, vice president of resource development, noted a slate of events and local campaigns that collectively generate significant dollars for programs, highlighted community sponsorships that opened club access for about 362 children, and thanked long-standing partners and in-kind donors.

Volunteer contributions were underscored as a key operational resource: Absher said more than 1,000 volunteers contributed 13,486 hours in 2025, which the organization conservatively valued at approximately $98,000 in avoided staffing costs.

Speakers and attendees also honored longtime supporters who died over the past year and recognized youth achievements, including Ariana, the club's Youth of the Year, and a series of performances from club sites that closed the luncheon.

The club framed its announcements as part of a broader anniversary campaign: new merchandise and a membership-pin giveaway, an alumni outreach effort and an appeal for continued local support to sustain programs that keep membership fees low (Absher said families pay $20 per year while the club estimates the cost to serve a child at about $750 annually). The luncheon concluded with a call from board vice president Megan Parminder to "stay in this work with us" as the club enters its seventieth year.

No formal votes or legislative actions were taken at the event; the program was a combination of presentations, donor recognition and youth showcases.