LYNN — The Boys & Girls Club of Lynn welcomed alumni, city leaders, and community members Thursday evening for a celebration of the club’s legacy and its ambitious plans for the future.
The Alumni & Community Leaders Event, held at the club’s North Common Street facility, provided guests with tours, food, and a presentation on the club’s $18 million renovation project. Phase two of the capital campaign will expand the club’s footprint and upgrade key areas to serve more youth with additional programming and modernized facilities.
Jimmy Connors, a club board member and local business owner, said the changes will be transformative.
“We’re gonna be tearing down the back of the Boys and Girls Club to make additions so they can take more kids,” said Connors, who owns McGrath Enterprises in Lynn. “They’re gonna have hot food — breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack. There’s gonna be a new pool. There’s a lot more activities for the kids to do.”
He added that the existing rear section of the building is outdated and due for renewal. “This is the newer part of the building, and we want to redo the back so it’s as new as this,” he said. Connors estimated the campaign has raised about $11 million so far. “We had galas and a lot of people from Lynn donated… but it’s a lot of money to come up with.”
Divine Egbuta, the club’s 2025 Youth of the Year, opened the program by sharing her story and introducing a slate of speakers. “It’s great to see so many familiar faces,” said Egbuta, who has been involved in the Torch Club, and dance club, and currently serves as Keystone Club president. “I’m really proud of the work we’ve accomplished together.”
Mayor Jared C. Nicholson, the first to speak, praised the club’s legacy and the strength of its youth programs. “This is a special place,” Nicholson said. “It’s a special time in those young people’s lives, and they are so fortunate to have the resources and opportunities that they do here.”
“This project is an exciting moment,” he continued. “We’re talking about young people, so we’re talking about the future. But when you’re talking about the Boys and Girls Club, you’re also talking about a really rich legacy of past generations… and I think that intersection of the past and the future is really emblematic of where we are as a community.”
State Sen. Brendan Crighton emphasized the importance of advocacy and storytelling when seeking public funding. “It’s more important to tell the stories,” he said. “It’s talking to our young people… and being able to tell those stories really makes an impact.”
City Councilor Fred Hogan, a club member from 1978 to 1990, spoke candidly about the role the club played in his childhood. “It saved both of our lives,” he said, referring to himself and his brother, Chris. “We were on welfare. We couldn’t afford to go to the Y — we could only come to the Boys Club. This gave us a safe haven because, in the late ’70s and ’80s, Lynn was going through a lot of changes.”
Hogan, who once paid just 50 cents for a club membership, brought old clay membership cards saved by his brother. “This club is a special place, and there’s a lot of kids with stories like me. This place saved our lives and made us do the right thing in life.”
Adriana Moschella, president of the club’s board of directors, encouraged guests to stay involved. “Everybody in this room has the ability to make an impact and change the lives of these children right here,” she said. “My ask for all of you is: get excited about the capital campaign, spread the word, tell other people.”
Among the young voices was Ruby Contreras, a longtime club member and former Youth of the Year. “I really love this club,” said Contreras. “It really helped me shine. After being such a shy kid, I really became a star here.”
“It taught me confidence,” she added. “And it taught me how to strive in my community, and now I’m way more involved.”
Anaima Piccirillo, director of the club’s licensed program, said her program serves 130 children ages 5 through 10 — with another 80 on the waiting list. “Hence why we’re running the capital campaign and expanding,” she said. Piccirillo recently launched partnerships with PBS and the Boston Children’s Museum and is always seeking new learning opportunities for her students. “We want them to experience things their parents may not be able to do for them outside of the home,” she said.
For Erik Stockwell, an alumnus who first joined the club in the 1980s, the night was emotional. “I was neglected as a kid. My mom was on drugs. My dad was never home,” he said. “I came here as a release to escape a lot of the drugs and violence that was at my house. This place saved my life.”
Now 51, Stockwell is retired from the MBTA, works for the state, owns a home, and coaches youth basketball in Saugus. “The virtues I learned here, I institute in my daily life every day,” he said. “My advice to the counselors is: just realize the power you have when you speak to these young kids… Be patient with them.”
Executive Director Brian Therrien offered closing remarks, thanking the crowd for supporting the club’s mission. “It was a beautiful evening to see so many community leaders, directors, donors, and staff,” he said. “The ultimate goal is to raise… and we’re going to make it happen.”
