Boys and Girls Club of Copperas Cove to benefit from part of $5.2 milion donation
By BRITTANY FHOLER
Cove Leader-Press
The Boys and Girls Club of Central Texas announced last week that it received a donation of $5.2 million from philanthropist and novelist MacKenzie Scott.
The donation was part of a larger collective donation made to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America by Scott, totaling $281 million.
Scott was formerly married to the founder and former CEO of Amazon Jeff Bezos and in 2019, she signed the Giving Pledge, pledging to donate half of her net worth to charity. She has donated more than $7 billion to charities since 2020.
The donation to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America is the largest collective gift given by an individual in support of Boys & Girls Clubs in the organization’s 160-year history, according to a press release issued March 17.
There are more than 4,700 BGC locations across the country. Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Texas is receiving $5.2 million as part of that larger donation, to be divided among clubs in Copperas Cove, Killeen/Harker Heights/Nolanville, Lampasas, Gatesville, Georgetown, Taylor and Marlin.
BGCTX CEO Tiana Quick said that each club within Central Texas will receive funding. The boards and staff from each location will be putting together project plans which will be posted on the organization’s website soon.
“Although plans have not been completed yet, I know that Copperas Cove is excited to work through some of their construction phases at their new location,” Quick said. “That could very well mean that a playground and other additions are coming in the near future.”
Boys and Girls Club of Copperas Cove moved into its new facilities at 216 Laura Street last summer, nearly two years after holding a groundbreaking ceremony at 206 Laura Street to reveal the future home of the Boys and Girls Club of Copperas Cove. The club had received a donation of property in 2019 from an anonymous donor, and in 2021, they received an additional proposal to transfer ownership of two 5,100-square foot facilities adjacent to 206 Laura St.
For up-to-date information on community projects, visit bgctx.org and look for a Coming Soon section soon to be added.
“BGCTX feels incredibly fortunate to have received this generous donation,” BGCCTX stated in a March 17 press release. “Fundraising is a priority for us to ensure that we don’t have to pass expenses on to our families. In most communities, charging as little as $20 for membership fees per year or providing scholarships to families who need it.”
BGCTX Board Chair Charles Kimble said that he is excited that the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Texas was selected by Ms. Scott and her foundation to be recipients of her generous gift in the press release.
“This organization has created so many amazing opportunities already, I look forward to being a part of what comes next and how we can have an even bigger impact in our communities with this funding,” Kimble said.