Boys & Girls Club reopening Sept. 14

After being closed for six months due to the pandemic, the Jackie Robinson Boys & Girls Club is planning a phased reopening of its after-school program starting in mid-September. The doors to the club building, located at Cairo’s Holder Park, will open on Monday, Sept. 14 for the first day of its 2020-2021 After School Program, according to Stephen Francis, club director.

“We deeply miss all of our children but also realize that this will be a gradual process in restoring our operations back to its full capacity,” says Francis.

For the first two weeks, the club will serve only 33 students. Francis says starting with a limited number will give the staff and club members time to acclimate to the new routine.

“After the two-week period is over, there will be an evaluation of safety and operations,” Francis says. “If all goes well, we will then begin to add 10 more children each week thereafter, evaluating all safety protocols along the way, until we reach a number that will be safely acceptable to the size of our facility for this particular time that we are in.”

Francis says the club will follow guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and O.S.H.A., and those will be reviewed and updated as necessary.

“Building control, administrative/program controls, social distancing protocols and safe work practices will also be in place upon re-opening our doors on Sept. 14,” says Francis.

The JRBGC board of directors configured the reopening plans at its last meeting. Since the club closed in March, the adult staff members have engaged in virtual programming with club members.

Supporters of the club are also planning an annual golf tournament fund raiser for the club.

The 2020 four man scramble is scheduled for next Thursday, Sept. 3 at Tired Creek Golf Course in Cairo. Registration is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. with tee-off at 1 p.m. Golfers can register online at www.mnw-bgc.org or in person at the Jackie Robinson Boys & Girls Club or Hobson Chevrolet.