Ground broken for THE PLAYERS Boys & Girls Club

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ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. -- The days of kids trying to cram into a 900-square foot structure to enjoy the benefits of the Boys & Girls Club in the Woodlawn Terrace community will soon be over.

Groundbreaking on a new 15,000 square-foot permanent home just around the corner from the old facility took place Wednesday, thanks to a gift of $750,000 from THE PLAYERS Championship.

THE PLAYERS Championship Boys & Girls Club, scheduled for completion in July 2010, will feature a teen center, café, kitchen, IT lab, education center, full indoor gymnasium and state of the art game room.

St. Augustine Mayor Joseph Boles, who was on hand for the groundbreaking, said the facility will provide a "safe haven" for area youth and allow them to learn and grow.

"The Boys & Girls club experience is so important for our young people because it instills values and leadership qualities that are much-needed in our future and current generations," he said. "We're extremely excited to see the impact that THE PLAYERS Championship Boys & Girls Club will have on our youth."

Highlighting the groundbreaking ceremony was a drum-line performance by teenage members of the Boys & Girls Club. The 150 people in attendance were also treated to a chipping competition with PGA TOUR pro and St. Augustine resident Jeff Klauk.

"Growing up here and now living in St. Augustine, it's nice to give back to your own city," Klauk said. "From events like THE PLAYERS Championship to sponsors, volunteers and local businesses, you can see the support for this facility. I'm looking forward to coming back when it opens."

One of the afternoon's special moments came when 17-year-old Semone Evans, a sophomore at St. Augustine High School, spoke about her experience as a Boys & Girls Club member.

"Before 2005, my life was on a disruptive path," Evans said. "I've been attending the Boys & Girls Club ever since. It means many things to many people but to me it means change. It's truly made a change in my life. I believe in the Boys and Girls Club. Together, we can make this a positive place for kids."

THE PLAYERS Championship raised a record $4.15 million for charities along the First Coast in 2009. Jay Monahan, the tournament's executive director acknowledged that once people experience the facility and what it's about, the 15,000 square feet could "seem small" pretty quickly.

"This will be an outlet and growth tool for the kids and the hope is that they'll convert those life skills in a meaningful way," Monahan said. "The last line of the mission of the Boys & Girls Club is simply to provide hope and opportunity to your youth. There's no greater example of hope and opportunity than what's taking place here today."

Dr. Shannon Perry, president of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida, expects that several hundred young people within a 2-mile radius of the facility can be served. Justin Black, unit director for the organization, projected that THE PLAYERS Championship Boys & Girls Club could accommodate 200-300 people daily.

In addition, a temporary new portable facility for the Boys & Girls Club was opened Wednesday on the King St. property. It is being provided for the project in a low-cost lease by the city of St. Augustine.