Alan Loehr, chairman of the board of the Culver Boys & Girls Club, paid a visit to the Kiwanians recently to update that organization on CBGC.
The club, which first opened its doors as the Culver Community Youth Center in 2000, before becoming a part of the Porter County Boys & Girls Club a few years ago. Since that time, Loehr says CBGC has nearly tripled its average daily attendance and has doubled its membership to over 250 children, nearly half the population of Culver Elementary School, where the club is housed (the national Boys & Girls Club has said Culver’s numbers are “extraordinary,” adds Loehr).

Loehr noted CBGC’s hours have expanded to include five days per week, open until 6:50 p.m., with a summertime “KidStop” program from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. That program includes field trips to Lake Michigan dunes, water parks, museums, and zoos, besides its most popular feature: swimming jonts to the beach at Lake Maxinkuckee, the only time a number of area kids get a chance to swim in the lake, according to Loehr.
The regular CBGC provides a gamesroom, computer lab, homework help, gym time, arts and crafts, and Power Hour (which encourages children to complete extra educational pages to accumulate prizes and pizza; last year, 140 members participated with over 1,200 hours of work).
Mary Ann Tidwell is current director of the program.