Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade will be hosting Lights On Afterschool Rallies at its Clubs in Northwest, Kendall and the Hank Kline facility to draw attention to the need for afterschool programs to serve the millions of children who are unsupervised and at risk each weekday afternoon in the United States. The Lights On Afterschool rallies will be held at Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade facilities on:
- Tuesday, October 19, 2010 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade Northwest Club at 10915 NW 14th Avenue, Miami Fla.
- Wednesday, October 20, 2010 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade K Kendall Club at 9475 North Kendall Drive, Kendall Fla.
- Friday, October 22, 2010 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade Hank Kline Club at 2805 SW 32nd Avenue, Miami Fla.
The gathering is one of 7,500 such events across the nation emphasizing the importance of keeping the lights on and the doors open for afterschool programs. Speakers at the rally will warn that tight budgets are endangering afterschool programs here in Miami and around the country, forcing many to cut back or even close their doors. Miami-Dade County Commissioners Dorrin Rolle, Carlos Gimenez and Miami City Commissioner Marc Sarnoff or their representatives, along with parents and students will discuss the importance of afterschool programs. This year marks the Twelve Annual Lights On Afterschool, sponsored by the Afterschool Alliance. More than 1 million Americans will take part in the nationwide rally to show support for the afterschool programs that keep kids safe, inspire them to learn and help working families.
“We are all very proud of our afterschool students,” said Alex Rodriguez-Roig, Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade. “There’s no reason that learning should stop at 3 p.m., particularly if the alternative is unsupervised time in front of a television set, or any of the dangerous or unhealthy behaviors that can endanger children in the afternoons.”
In Florida, according to America After 3PM data, 20 percent of school-age children are in afterschool programs, while 25 percent are unsupervised in the afternoons and another 16 percent are in the care of brothers and sisters. According to survey, the parents of 36 percent of children in the state who are not already in an afterschool program would enroll their children in one, if a program were available to them – an indication of the considerable unmet demand for afterschool programs in the state. For more survey results, visit http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/AA3PM.cfm.
In conjunction with Lights On Afterschool events across the nation, the JCPenney Afterschool Round-Up program will kick off in JCPenney stores throughout the U.S. From Oct. 16 to Oct. 25, customers have the opportunity to “round-up” their JCPenney purchases to the nearest whole dollar and donate the difference to afterschool programs in their local communities that provide life-enriching programs for children in need. Last year, through “Round Up” and other initiatives, JCPenney contributed approximately $13 million to support afterschool initiatives across the country.
For more information on the Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade, please visit www.bgcmia.org or call 305-446-9910.