CNS donates $25K to Boys, Girls Clubs; others match the gift

 

Consolidated Nuclear Security LLC has donated $25,000 to Boys and Girls Clubs of the Clinch Valley, and that gift has been matched—for a total of $50,000. The money will be used for a new roof at the Oak Ridge facility.

CNS President and Chief Executive Officer Jim Haynes presented a symbolic $25,000 check to the Oak Ridge unit during a ceremony on Thursday. Representatives of some of the 16 organizations that matched the CNS donation were also present.

“On behalf of our 5,000 employees at Y-12, we are extremely pleased to contribute to an Oak Ridge organization that makes such a difference in young peoples’ lives,” Haynes said. “Y-12 employees have a long history of serving this community, and we are honored to continue that tradition. The Oak Ridge Boys and Girls Club has served the community for decades, and we are proud to contribute so that it can continue to serve for decades to come.”

On hand to receive the check at Thursday’s ceremony were Boys and Girls Clubs of the Clinch Valley founder and Executive Director Emeritus Lawrence Hahn, Chief Volunteer Officer Gerald Boyd, and other members of the Board.

Of major concern for the Oak Ridge facility is the building’s roof, a CNS press release said. Recent leaks have caused major damage, and while repairs have been made, a complete replacement is needed.

“Today’s donation, coupled with matching grants from other community organizations and individuals will soon help make that and other improvements a reality,” the press release said.

The gym at the Oak Ridge unit of Boys and Girls Clubs of the Clinch Valley was completed renovated in the last year with help from the alumni association.

“Now we have the opportunity to finish the rest of the building,” Boyd said during Thursday’s ceremony.

A precursor to the U.S. Department of Energy gave the building to what was then the Boys Club in the mid-1950s. Construction on the building began in 1956 and was completed almost entirely by government plant workers who volunteered in their spare time. The Club was founded in 1958.

But since then, the building has fallen into disrepair. Boys and Girls Club staff members and volunteers said this would be the second major renovation of the building since the mid-1950s, after last year’s renovation of the gym.

“It has been a long time,” Boyd said.

Jennifer Pettyjohn, chief resource officer and acting chief professional officer of the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Clinch Valley, said they are writing grants to work on six interior rooms at the club, including on flooring, electrical systems, a kitchen area, and ceiling tiles.

The clubs are also recruiting a volunteer project management team to oversee the renovation project, Pettyjohn said.

The Boys and Girls Clubs of the Clinch Valley also includes a Roane County unit at Harriman Middle School that was started last year.

The Oak Ridge unit serves about 120 children each evening.

“It is a real blessing to have companies like CNS in our community,” Boyd said. “Education goes beyond the classroom, and that’s where the Boys and Girls Club comes in—we provide the opportunities to develop crucial skills, such as teamwork and good sportsmanship. Those are the skills that Jim and everyone at Y-12 know bring success to their mission.”

Haynes added: “CNS believes character, leadership, education, and health development are important for young people, and that’s what the Boys and Girls Clubs are all about.  We’re proud to be associated with this organization, and we’re proud to follow the example of our dedicated Y-12 employees who contribute their time and dollars to community organizations like the Boys and Girls Clubs.”

More than 700 children, ages 6 to 17, are enrolled at the Oak Ridge Boys and Girls Clubs, with an average daily attendance of between 50 and 75 after-school children, with room for more, the press release said.

Consolidated Nuclear Security LLC, or CNS, operates the Pantex Plant in Amarillo, Texas, and the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge under a contract for the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration.