Mountaire Farms has provided a $20,000 donation to help launch a fund-raising campaign to expand the Oak Orchard/Riverdale Boys and Girls Club in Delaware.
Mountaire Farms is an agricultural food processing company providing work for over 8,500 people at facilities in Arkansas, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina. It is a privately owned, religious-centered company with a commitment to their employee’s communities. The club currently serves 100 children from the local area, and has a waiting list of those who want to participate but are turned away.
“It’s heartbreaking to hear stories about kids who could benefit from these before and after school programs, but can’t join their peers because of space limitations,” said Mountaire Farms President Phillip Plylar, who toured the facility last week.
“This facility is right in our own backyard, and we drive by it almost every day,” Plylar said. “We are proud to be able to help raise awareness about the need to help more kids find a safe place to play and learn.”
“We are so appreciative of the support and pledge of Mountaire to help us keep more kids safe and mentored in the Millsboro/Long Neck area,” said Erica Kennedy, Director of the Oak Orchard/Riverdale Boys & Girls Club. “Keeping those kids in a Boys & Girls Club environment who don’t have adult supervision at home … is essential to their long-term success, safety and happiness.”
The goal of the expansion plan is to build a gymnasium, more bathrooms, and new classrooms to accommodate a teen program at the facility. Currently, the Club only accepts children from Kindergarten through 8th grade. A pre-school for 20 children operates a few miles away on Oak Orchard Road.
The Great Futures Gala fundraising event to help kickoff the capital campaign for the expansion will be on February 7th at The Peninsula Golf and Country Club. For tickets or sponsorship information, visit www.GreatFuturesGalaDE.com or call (302) 945-3350.
The Great Futures Fund is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation who mission is to support the safety, education and future of the youth in Delaware that need us most, through supporting the local Boys & Girls Club organizations and the work they do every day.