Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County history

On September 12, 1972 the Boys Club purchased the Knights of Columbus building on Marine Drive for $45,000.

On April 18, 1987, with a 3,000 square foot building, two baseball fields, two basketball courts and generous parking areas, the Wellington Club opened.

On April 18, 1989, the two clubs opened their doors to girls and the organization officially changed its name to Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County, Inc.

In an effort to reach and serve more children, the Board of Directors outlined a 5-year-plan in early 1990 for expansion and targeted the county’s areas of greatest need to open Club operations.

1991, a Riviera Beach location opened in an old fire station.

1993, the Delray Beach Club opened at Carver Middle School.

1995, through an agreement with the Palm Beach County School District, four elementary school-based sites in the Glades Area became available.

1997, the organization kept expanding in the Glades Area with an additional site at Belle Glade’s Lake Shore Civic Center during the summer, which is now the stand-alone Teen Center.

2001, the organization opened its 12th site, the Florence De George Boys & Girls Club in West Palm Beach’s Northwood area.

2004, the newest addition to the organization during this period of rapid growth opened in Boca Raton.

2005, the Delray Beach Club moves into a new 21,000 square feet facility named the Naoma Donnelley Haggin Club.

2011, the Marjorie S. Fisher Boys & Girls Club of West Palm Beach opened in the Westgate area.

2018, the organization broke ground on a new state-of-the-art Teen Center named Smith & Moore

Smith & Moore Family Teen Center of Belle Glade opened a state-of-the-art career readiness center for teens in 2020.