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Denzel Washington visits South Elgin Boys & Girls Club

Posted April 13, 2023 1:00 am

Daily Herald report

The Boys & Girls Club of America celebrated the opening of its 5,000th clubhouse Wednesday in South Elgin with a visit from Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington.

Washington, a Boys & Girls Club alum who has served as the organization's national spokesperson for 30 years, toured the 20,000-square-foot facility and shared his personal story with club members and guests.

The new location serves about 250 kids and teens per day and features a STEM lab, an art studio, a college and career center and a teen studio.

In addition to Washington, Olympian and club alum Jackie Joyner-Kersee visited to share her new children's book, "Running for the Gold: Connecting Kids to Dreams" with club members.

The event also featured a Major League Baseball youth baseball clinic for the kids and WWE superstars Xavier Woods and Raquel Rodriguez led a "Be A STAR" anti-bullying rally to encourage young people to treat each other with respect.

Additionally, Bridgestone donated a new 15-passenger van to help ease transportation needs for club youth and the Buffalo Wild Wings Foundation donated outdoor equipment to enhance youth sports.

The Boys and Girls Clubs of America celebrated its 5000th clubhouse on Wednesday in South Elgin with a visit from national spokesperson Denzel Washington. Courtesy of Boys and Girls Clubs of America

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