“Kids are in school for only a quarter of the day. There is a gap between what schools can do and what parents can do,” said Harvard University President Lawrence Summers yesterday at the dedication of a new recreation club in Allston. “The West End Boys and Girls Club fills the gap.”
Boston’s community, business and civic leaders gathered at the West End Club to dedicate the new building in Allston to Michael Gordon, Edward Lewis, Louis Cane and Brian Honan, lifelong advocates of the club and the Boston community.
The club will serve an important purpose in the community, said featured guest Mayor Thomas Menino.
“The West End House Boys and Girls Club is a place for young people to come and is a very important part of the city,” Menino said. “Building bridges is what the West End is all about.”
The late Allston-Brighton City Councilor Brian Honan was a member of the club’s board of directors and an active member and volunteer since 1971. Menino recognized Honan’s instrumental role in the renovation of the club.
“Thank you for having the vision of service,” he said.
Jimmy Gordon, brother of honoree Michael Gordon, noted how proud of the project’s success the honorees would be.
“If my brother was here today I know he would be overwhelmed,” Gordon said. “He used to see things that others couldn’t see; the greatest thing — human potential.”
Summers also focused on the human element of the rebuilding project.
“If you think about what is really special about our city and neighborhoods, you’d see that it is not the structures or historical traditions but it is the people. It’s people working together to make things better. This is why this is such a great event.”
The center was named after Louis Cane, an Allston resident involved in the project from its conception.
“I’ve been a member for 85 years, since I was 12,” said 97-year-old George Cane, who was speaking on behalf of his late son. “I watched the house as it grew and never in my wildest dreams did I picture this magnificent building.”
The ceremony was held in the club’s gym and also honored the 1,500 individuals who contributed to the $7.5 million raised to support the new building.
The money raised, which went to the rebuilding project and also funds most club activities and programs, did more than even the donors expected, said Joel Goober, donor and member of the club’s board of directors.
“This is something we never envisioned five years ago,” he said. “Many of us have to walk through the building to believe that it’s happened.”
The West End Boys and Girls Club was originally established in 1906 as a positive place for kids to come after school to play, learn and meet friends. It provides food, activities, classes and sports facilities as well as mentoring and tutoring services for children ages 6 to 18 in the Boston area.
One children’s program is the Kids Cafe, which provides home-cooked meals to approximately 200 children Monday through Friday. The cafe feeds children while teaching important skills, according to cafe volunteer Latisha Kenner.
“The cafe is a place where children can learn responsibilities and also learn to cook and bake. Everything we do here deals with the community and kids,” she said. “Everything here is free and we turn no kids away.”
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