Hiawatha Club opens
in Washington Local elementary
TOLEDO – Boys & Girls Clubs of Toledo celebrated its expansion into Washington Local Schools with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday, Sept. 30, for the Hiawatha Club at Hiawatha Elementary School.
“This is very, very exciting,” said Jim Ravas, president and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Toledo. “The best part about it is that Toledo is not just one small community. … It’s not just one school district. It’s not one group of kids. We have a lot of kids that are represented in the Toledo metropolitan area and Lucas County. It’s wonderful that we’re spreading our wings, and we’re serving more children in more areas of the city.”
He credited the partnerships and working relationships that helped realize an idea that began four years ago with Dr. Kadee Anstadt, former superintendent at Washington Local.
Anstadt recalled being a single mom working about a 45-minute drive from her children’s school. The Club, she said, will help alleviate some of the stressors that she faced then for families in Washington Local Schools now.
“The only thing we really want is that our kids are safe, have a great place to play, have enriching lives, and have great programming and are getting help,” Anstadt said.
State Rep. Michele Grim presented Tiffany Cavanaugh, president of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Toledo Board of Trustees, with a commendation recognizing the opening. Timothy Schneider, a representative of Sen. JD Vance’s office, also presented the Clubs with a certificate of recognition.
Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz joined in the celebration and played a football video game with some of the youth afterward.
Hiawatha students and new Club members Danica, DJ , Aubrey and Joshua cut the ceremonial ribbon. Later in the afternoon, Macie became the first member to check into the new Club.
Hiawatha Boys & Girls Club membership is free for Hiawatha Elementary School students aged 7 through 6th grade. It is open Monday through Friday after school until 7 p.m. All members have access to a meal and a snack daily through a partnership with Connecting Kids to Meals.
The Hiawatha Club will operate in a shared-space model, with the Club having designated office space and sharing such spaces as the gymnasium, art room and cafeteria after teachers leave for the day.
“They say it takes a village to raise a child, and there are so many people today that have helped our village get to this point,” said Kristie Martin, superintendent at Washington Local. “From the initial idea to the meetings to the site visits to the planning of this event, everything this team has done has been rooted in love for our kids.”
The Hiawatha Club will join Boys & Girls Clubs of Toledo’s other eight locations in offering nationally recognized programs in core areas that closely align with the developmental needs of youth: character and leadership; sports and recreation; arts and crafts; health and wellness; and academic success.
