HOUSTON -- It was a day of celebration at Minute Maid Park, as the Astros recognized the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston (BGCGH) and Boys & Girls Club of Brazoria County (BGCBC) ahead of their series finale against the Royals.

In addition to honoring each organization's milestone -- the 70th anniversary of BGCGH and the 50th anniversary of BGCBC -- Boys & Girls Club Day was an opportunity to create a special moment at the ballpark for the members of the clubs and recognize the area’s leading youth development organization.

“A lot of our members never had the opportunity to come out of their community,” said Amber Newman, CEO of Boys & Girls Club of Brazoria County. “It means a lot to us because otherwise they wouldn’t have this opportunity. Some parents can’t afford the tickets to come to the game, and so this is the kids' opportunity to come see something different. We are grateful to the Astros for the opportunity.”

President and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston Kevin Hattery added: “After a couple of years of not being able to go out and do something like this, it is fantastic for the kids to come out and just re-engage and have kind of a social life.”

The Greater Houston club was founded in 1952. They see more than 35,000 youth ages 6-17 walk through their doors for after-school and summer programs annually. The organization offers various services, including meals, strong role models, homework assistance, organized athletics, character development and access to the arts.

“Our club is a fun, safe place for young people to go,” Hattery said. “In addition to unique experiences like this, we make sure that we’re providing them with academic support because of the learning loss from COVID. We get to provide resources that youth in our community need.”

The Brazoria County club was founded in 1972. Each year, they see more than 20,000 people ages 5-18 come for their after-school and summer programs. They provide the same services as the Greater Houston area, allowing members access to resources and tools that help level the playing field for them. The organization has 20 sites throughout Brazoria County where they offer free after-school and summer programming at 18 out of the 20 sites.

“Thankful for playing a huge role in our area, especially when COVID happened,” Newman said. “We were a pillar in our community for people to be able to send their kids to a safe place and not have to worry about the safety of their kids.”

It will be a day to remember for more than 2,300 BGC senior management, staff members and club members and their families who are at the game.

“It’s just a wonderful day to be at the ballpark,” Hattery said. “We have been long standing partners with the Astros and MLB, so it’s a great way to celebrate reaching a big milestone for our organization.”