wilson. (clapping.) my name is maxine i'm the vice president of operations for the fisher boys & girls club and today is a special day for our organization we're excited you come out to celebrate with us this is all about saying thank you and acknowledging all the people that made this building happen first i want to introduce you to some of our members that will come up and tell their stories we have cal la greg junior so throughout the program our members will come up and their a little bit of their stories today i'll hear from our president rob conley thank you to his passion and

leadership (clapping) you know he's worked with almost probably a lot of you in the room to make that project happen so i'd like to welcome our city official mayor ed lee will be joining us around 3:30 for the ribbon cutting and the san francisco board of supervisors president and district 5 president london breed (clapping) we say the chief chief suhr (clapping) and also have city attorney dennis herrera and i believe i say saw 63 here (clapping.) and to a welcome to our special

guest ms. doris fisher and bob and john and dale fisher (clapping.) i'd like to welcome mr. barber are a calendar who is here with us (clapping) so our administrator active office is named after john calendar that was a long time member and i'd like to welcome our capital campaign co-chairs that made this happen stephanie mellone and rocky freed and bob emry (clapping) okay. so a final welcome to our board members and staff and community members and partners thank you guys for coming out

today, you'll hear from a number of speakers throughout the day we'll try to be tight so after the programs over is we'll continue coffee in the dining room hall during the club so again welcome now from our first speaker cal la (clapping.) >> handsome my name is cal la i'm in the fifth grade i live 8 blocks from the fischer clubhouse sometimes i get bored i joined did boys and girls club last year and started going by

the way because my 0 best friend wanted me, too i enjoyed going on field trips i am spur excited to be one of the first members at the new dawn fisher clubhouse i remember taking a hard hat tour where my friend rob and some of the fellow members it was a little bit incomplete but now, it's finished it is wow, it is totally different i thought the old club was wow, i can't believe i get to call this my club i imagined all the few minutes things i hope i get to participate in everything i looked forward to swichl many the brand new pool and playing in the huge give him i want to checkout the new dance program

and looking forward to the whole building and, of course the staff they make it you'll happen being a founding member of the boys and girls club club i will carry with me forever i'm grateful who made this possible for all the kids thank you for giving us a safe place to learn and have fun and in the words the thought club i'm ready to do what i love thank you. (clapping.) >> hi my name is jr. i'm 14 years old in the eighth grade i've been coming to the boys and girls club since i was 7 years

old my mom k3wr0er8d me that he clubhouse to make new friends and get out of the house i grew up in the hayes district she didn't want me to los angeles out because of the bad influence but it got boring inside the house i didn't understand but i know it's important to her i'm in a safe place like the boys and girls club i went to grand elementary school that wasn't too far the staff walked us to the club i made a lot of friends at the time and they're still my friends to this day i was given help with any homework when i joined the bottom lines and still do i participated in a lot of different programs since that joining when you're a little kid at the club you participate in a

lot of programs like computer and swimming and gym games in the game room you get to see what you're like and what you're good at i got to go to accustoming i played in a little league game and met the city directors he asked me to join the basketball team i didn't know what the try out was but they told me to try out i i was the youngest player on the team that was a lot of competition that made me nervous thanks to the rebldz i've learned to be confident and do my best i don't allow myself so get unfocused and don't let people get in my medicine head i focus

on the task and thanks to the boys and girls club i've traveled of a las vegas and other places and be able to apply the things i've learned on the court this has taught me how to be a gentleman it changed the way i act and my latitude i'm more mature because of status and mark nationally pushed me theoretically and give me information and challenged me with my school work when i grew up i want to be a professional football player but i don't know plan b. (laughter) the club is the new club is wonderful the best boys and girls club for sure my farther part is at the gym this club is a lot bigger instead of catching

the bus we walk from home for kids that never come to the boys and girls club you should sign up and make new kids and meet great staff if you need help you'll have a lot of help i'm looking forward to spending a lot of time here thank you (clapping) >> wow. more people here a than i thought so my name is rob conley the president of the boys and girls club in san francisco and i just want to welcome i all here that join maxine in welcoming our that 2ki7kd guests

thank you for celebrating kala did an awesome job really it's not easy (clapping) so we're here to celebrate all the good that is going to take place insides the clubhouse we'll continue to be the place of opportunity inspiration and hope a place where kids feel loved and safe and combrld and feel motivated to change the world or world a place with the right programs and the right people somewhere in this building is our staff from the don fisher clubhouse they're spread around florida you're a staff at the don fisher clubhouse racing raise your hand (clapping) so i'm pretty clear it's as

amazing as this building is it is simply a means to an end really the staff and the program and the connection with the young people ask where it comes together it works or not and with this staff i know it will work my dream this club will be filed all day along long to the summer and kids will show up 3 days a week my vision middle school and high school and elementary school my dream our parents will be the best advocates and partners and ambassadors pushing us especially on the very well aspects of the programs there will be champions in the neighborhood and at city hall my dream when we leukemia back in 5 are 10 years we look at the lower hate and hate valley the

rivalry will be of the past and the boys and girls club is the reason not loan because another great programs we work with magic the african-american art and cultural complex and local churches really my other program focuses focused on the sustainable development of this neighborhood children and parents i know that the clubhouse will be a place for goal setting and accomplishments but more than boys and girls club will also be always, always, always on the side of constrain and team this project took guts a could ground up building some of i were at the groundbreaking parking lot that would have been easier to say in

the upper hate pay hope for the best much easier than moving that site and closing that building but the right decision long term and now, was to be right here with the 3wib9 needs there are so many people i wanted to thank and move fast so i want to thank my board of governors and the campaign co-chairs and the gap who stepped up and i want to thank our partners in the new u.s. bank and the city and county of san francisco i want to thank the 5 past board chairs that are here bob emry and rocky freed and bruce the current chair is not here in hawaii good for him

i had two outstanding capital campaign chairs for the last two years they made it possible to raise the money we've build a willie maze club and in the eastern mission and completely rebuilt another one billing freed and rocky your outstanding i was an integral part of the skeblg but made it clear you guys are way more important than i was your personal generosity and networks were great i appreciate it three years ago as we embarked on this project we added a third chair stephanie you've been amazing given this campaign the shot in the arm like me and rankling i didn't and bob your generosity made all

the difference finally, i want to talk about don fisher and john calendar who maxine said our office is the stating office is 45ur9d upstairs i'm proud the men are trrmd they've joined the board in 1963 and stayed 50 years don, of course founded the gap with his wife doris and drew national attention they their philanthropic vision this has been always, always at the top of their list and given generously to the boys and girls club in 2005 we went with done and his son john and made a focus this. launched the hole campaign and allowed us to do

the four john project i want to acknowledge from i go to john calendar dennis herrera and chief suhr i believe that ass list might be here that was a huge deal going up to the hill thank you guys for making that project happen john calendar was more of a local leejd than don don transcended san francisco john was a man of incredible class that was involved but somehow had time for everyone and somehow overwhelm seemed to know what ever staff member was up to son and father or wife to know what they were doing a world-class smile i'm proud those men's names are on our building the passion and leadership and generosity and

long term commitment that define our organization core values getting to today has not been easy but seeing the young people in the club for the last week swimming and in the gym and learning center is amazing the energy and having you all here today is incredibly incredibly rewarding thank you for being here you're going to hear from me more in a while while i do more acknowledgments so at this time it is my pleasure to bring you up to the podium and introduce our district 5 supervisor and now president of the board of supervisors a great friends to the boys and girls club that is adding to the events of last year so thank you for that >> and that is ms. looerpd thank you for all your support

and leadership i provide to the community (clapping). >> hello, everybody welcome to the don fisher boys and girls club i'm so glad we have the girls i think it started in the 70s we started letting girls inside this club i remember growing up and trying to get into the boy's club what a great day to have our kids here today to have this incredible club i wish there was a club like this when i was growing up part of what makes the club special are the people that are going to be working with our people the differences in child's life has made a difference like maxine and along

with a great staff of the boys and girls club we have an incredible facility this is so amazing i'm a little bit 50e7b8gd because we were not long ago breaking ground we break ground. >> what a difference money makes it is up and built and kids are here and i just want to start by thanking ms. fisher and her family for their genuine love phenomenal san francisco and making sure that young people ♪ amazing city have an incredible opportunity and the boys and girls has truly been the place that most young people in the neighborhood had to go no right to have an opportunity thank you

to the fischers and your commitment to the boys and girls club thank you to the dedicated staff i want to this e.r. take this opportunity to the members of the hayes valley to make sure this club not only comes to the neighborhood but serves the young people i want to thank derrick brown who has been working with our office and some of the housing developments to make sure that kids who don't feel safe walking to the boys and girls club because we still have challenges in this community he's going to be picking up and making sure they have a way to get here so they know this club belongs to every this single kid in the community one of the things rob didn't mention they've mentioned to me now the ability to serve the kids in the tenderloin so i'm looking forward to bridging gap

and bringing folks from the tenderloin and our kids need a club and place to feel safe and secure and they have that in the don fisher clubhouse i wish i was is a kid gay again to have a good time and maybe ever now and then i'm smeek over here i'm looking forward by last but not least i want to thank the committee that raised all the money as someone that used to run a nonprofit i remember the work that went into raising a thousand dollars it was a time consuming progress i say work you all raised millions that was the difference that made this club possibly and the differences in making this culpable on sooner or later and that's the difference in making sure our young people have a

place to call home a place to feel safe and secure i wanted to ask rob emry and rocky ready and stephanie medical on to accept an award (clapping) a well deserved standing november yaks for those who have dedicated their lives to make sure this clubhouse was available to the next generation of young people we couldn't have done it without you so on behalf of the city and county of san francisco since the mayors not here or is that the mayor

walking in hey player i was going to say i'm the top person in the city right now but tennis since the mayor walked in i'm the second on behalf of the city and county of san francisco and on on behalf of the folks of this community and on behalf of everyone that is going to walk through those doors and enjoy this clubhouse for generations to come it we say thank you and we're honor you decided to make this commitment to make this possible so thank you (clapping) >> i'm done; right? okay (laughter) i know the kids are saying hurry up and finish so we can play.

>> here's a recognition for you for your support of building of the clubhouse we really appreciate that and (clapping.) (clapping.) >> hi, i'm 19 years old and quo inform george washington high school the boys and girls club has been a parrot of my life since i was in the third grade my father was a member that's how i got introduced i was glad to join it was looking fun one of my teachers told i live in the western edition and many kids in my community that

don't come to the club i tell them to come to the boys and girls club there's a lot of challenges where i come from any was standing outside talking to my auntie i looked at down when someone was shooting i choose to be popping positive my mom died in my freshmen year i felt i let her down i was on the honor on role but i was in the boys and girls club i raised my grade they believed in me and the boys and girls club staff are role models that have motivated me and they're on top of me and courage me to do better i know i'm making my mom proud and i love the club the kids i 3w0u7b9d with but the kids that have not been here you'll build

new bonds and be a kid i know that the club is going to give you was it gave me and much more (clapping.) good afternoon everyone my name is spencer the clubhouse director for the don fisher clubhouse (clapping) before i get started with any words i'd like to thank a couple of people quite a few of the people first off any team when rob talked about the first top quality team i believe that i couldn't ask important more i have they're back and they have mine so if you all please stand

and race our hands this is the don fisher clubhouse theme (clapping) and while their many, many other people to thank i do want to really thank rob conley for his work and leadership and vision (clapping) i offer the last couple of months i've gotten to know him and see how hard he works from sunup to sundown so thank you for this opportunity today, we're here to celebrate of the optimism of a new clubhouse who name don honors throughout the country this building as magnificent is only a much level of commitment to

you i know we all agree we shall miss the point if we get caught up in the beauty of this fats and the staikts once it was a parking lot now a house in the time i have remaining i want to focus on the try legacy of don fisher and the boys and girls is one hundred and 24 commitment to the which were that need it the most and the new narrative that is written right here in the we were edition fillmore and tenderloin district it's the work we've been charged to do helping you without that mission there is no legacy just last june whether he it was still ervin night england legal

gill i had an opportunity to be involved in the due diligence with some of the police officers they were looking for a heavily set african-american male in his 40s now being mistaken for a heavily set didn't go sting as much as being assumed i was 40 i guess the truth hurt (laughter) i had an opportunity to follow up with dr. co-sponsor relies he k4u7b8d and said you're definitely not heavy not heavy that phrase has stuck with me ever since no, i'm not heavy no one is heavy heavy applies being bvrp being

unminded or unhealthy disadvantaging or destructive when i walk through those neighbors hayes valley and fillmore and western edition i sees buffalo people that live here they are not heavy they're my brothers they're not heavy they're my sisters they're not heavy they're our children and they deserve all the love consistent and guidance we can give them what is heavy are the problems they face today what's heavy is the baggage placed on their shoulders every day and bullying is heavy and peer pressure is heavy longness is heavy and hunger is heavy and poverty is heavy crime is heavy death is heavy