Hosealanier Durant Jr., left, and Ladarius Henry are two of about 20 volunteers who painted the exterior of the local Boys and Girls Club.
PINELLAS PARK – About 20 people sweated their way through last Saturday’s muggy and hot morning to paint the inside of the recently-closed Pinellas Park Boys and Girls Club.
The paint job is the first of many projects to get the building at 7790 61st St. reopened.
The club’s activities have been relocated to Good Samaritan Church, 3065 Park Blvd. until the refurbishing is completed.
Councilman Rick Butler, a born and bred Pinellas Park native who himself was a member of the club as a teenager, is spearheading the efforts to raise more than $700,000 to get the building back in shape. A priority now is a new air conditioning system and repairs to the leaking roof.
Known officially as the Boys and Girls Club of the Suncoast Inc., Pinellas Park Chapter, it is one of eight such facilities in Pinellas County, but the only one that has been closed due to a lack of funds for necessary improvements.
Volunteers are heading a series of fundraisers to raise money for the repairs. On July 11 at 7 p.m. a fundraiser will be held at the Performing Arts Center, 4951 78th Ave., that will include live music by the Gary Brown Blues Band.
Besides local leaders and others, about 10 volunteers from Pinellas Hope were on hand last week to help paint the exterior.
Call Butler at 541-7713 for more information about the project or to donate time, materials or money.
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