Since the first “Boys Club” opened its doors in 1900, five generations of Canadian children have benefited from belonging to a Boys and Girls Club. We have enabled hundreds of thousands of children to continue and complete their education, develop interests and skills that lead to successful careers and develop healthy relationships with peers and mentors that have made all the difference to a young person's life choices. Boys and Girls Clubs have been there for over 100 years to help young people achieve their positive potential and grow into contributing, successful adults.
According to a 2005 nationwide survey of Boys and Girls Club alumni, conducted by Ipsos-Reid with the support of Sears Canada:
81% say that the club had a very positive impact on their life
97% say their experience with the clubs has made them better off today
73% say their involvement with the clubs helped them avoid trouble with the law
69% say their involvement with the clubs really saved their life
95% say that their club provided them with valuable skills for life
What Boys and Girls Club alumni say about their experience with the Clubs:
The following incredible story is yet another reminder of how Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada build skills and attributes in young people that last a lifetime. It also instills a sense of collective pride in being part of this great movement we call Boys and Girls Clubs, whether you're a member, staff or volunteer.
Boys and Girls Club Alumni Saves Life
Just before 1:30 a.m. on Aug. 14, 2008 in Victoria BC, a Chevrolet Lumina sped down Naden Road on Canadian Forces Base - Esquimalt, past the gatehouse and broke through a concrete barrier, plunging into the waters of Lang Cove. Able Seaman Jaret McQueen, an Alumni of the Hamilton East Kiwanis Boys and Girls Club was one of four Canadian Forces members who dove into the water to help.
"I was sleeping on the seventh floor of the dorm, when I heard the crash", I looked out my window and saw a car slowing sinking into the water".Without hesitation Jaret ran down the stairs and jumped into the water." I could not see a thing, the water was so dark". Jaret swam down and could not open the window of the car, he realized then that he would need to break the window. He swam back to the top and yelled to the gathering on the shore to get him a rock. Smashing the car window with the rock, Jaret was able to reach into the car. He felt a leg, and knew immediately that the body was up side down. He followed the leg to the seatbelt. The seatbelt would not open. Jaret again swam to the top, about thirteen feet, and yelled for a knife, once again he swam down to the car. Jaret cut the seat belt with the knife, swam into the car and dragged the young male out and to the shore.
Jaret said that each time he was swimming down to the car and back up again, he would think to himself, thank God that I took swim lessons at the Boys and Girls Club in Hamilton. His swimming ability was questioned by the police, and Jaret told them that he had taken lessons at the Boys and Girls Club.
McQueen was second in the water, diving in after Leading Seaman Robert Binder. The high tide and the stirred-up silt made it difficult to find the car, which had flipped when it plunged over the bank.
Binder attributes the man's rescue to McQueen.
"What he did was amazing. He's the one who went inside, grabbed the guy and cut himself pretty bad," said Binder. "All I did was CPR."
The man had not been breathing for more than five minutes.
"He was blue. There was no sign of circulation. When we pulled him out he was pretty much dead, and we managed to revive him," said Binder.
Jaret McQueen will be honoured at the Annual General Meeting of the Hamilton East Kiwanis Boys and Girls Club on Thursday, May 14, 2009 @ 12:00 noon.
Submitted by: Glenn Harkness
Executive Director
Boys and Girls Clubs of Hamilton
Glenn has given permission to share this story far and wide.
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