Boys & Girls Clubs Help Children Develop Future Selves
DENVER (CBS4) – CBS4 is bringing the community together for Colorado children through a toy drive benefiting the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver. For many of the members, the clubs are a safe place where they can develop who they're going to be as adults. They're also a place where children can just be children, like during outside play time at the Cole Boys & Girls Club.
"Outside, we usually play tag or we're on the swings," said Endeeya, 12, a Cole Club member.
A total of 125 students go to the club every day. Members range in age from 6 to 18, and during play time they all run in different directions and do different activities.
"My responsibility is just to help staff, make sure the kids aren't outside of the gates, and make sure that there are no fights or conflicts going on," Endeeya explained.
"Endeeya is one of our stars," said Steven Roland Jr., club director at Cole.
She's proud to be a peer leader at the club, serving as a role model for the younger children.
"You help the kids do what they need to do, and get to class, and solve problems that they may have," Endeeya told CBS4.
For some members at the club, Christmas can be a problem they have to overcome.
"They don't know if they're going to get gifts or if it's going to be, kind of, a shorter Christmas for them," Roland Jr. explained.
"I think it would hurt their feelings because once they come to school, like all the other kids have presents that they brought to school, and they don't have any," Endeeya said.
The clubs hold Christmas parties every year to make sure that all their members have something under the tree.
"At the club, Christmas is fun and I like to help with like getting toys," Endeeya said.
LINK: Together 4 Colorado Toy Drive
CBS4 and our partners at KOA and KBCO will be collecting toys through December 24th. Participating King Soopers stores throughout the metro area are hosting our Together 4 Colorado collection bins, just drop a new unwrapped toy into one of the bins.
