Haines City Proclaims Boys and Girls Club Week, Honoring Local Youth Programs That Change Lives

HAINES CITY, Fla. The Haines City Commission issued an official proclamation on June 18, designating June 23 through 27 as Boys and Girls Club Week, recognizing the impact the organization continues to have on young people across the community.

The proclamation, presented during the commission’s regular meeting at City Hall, shines a spotlight on one of Haines City’s most vital youth resources, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Polk County’s North Ridge Program. Director Curtis Reddick leads the North Ridge location, building a program and a culture that families across the area have come to rely on.

The Boys and Girls Clubs of Polk County is one of the county’s oldest and most established youth-serving organizations, with 85 years of after-school and summer programming in Polk County. Today the organization operates 10 locations across the county and annually serves more than 5,000 youth, offering high-quality educational and recreational opportunities.

Programs at the club are built around six core areas: academics, health and wellness, sports, the arts, character and leadership, and workforce readiness. For many families in Haines City, the North Ridge Unit fills a critical gap. Many Polk County teens are unsupervised after school for up to an hour and a half per day, putting them at risk, and the club works to change that, one kid at a time.

The impact goes beyond just keeping kids off the streets. Since 2011, Boys and Girls Clubs of Polk County has been awarded more than $10 million in federal 21st Century Community Learning Center grants, delivering more than 42,682 hours of high-quality academic and enrichment programming to more than 3,000 county youth. The numbers tell only part of the story. Youth with mentors are 55% more likely to enroll in college, 46% less likely to use illicit drugs, and 27% less likely to start drinking.

Food security is also part of the mission. According to Feeding America data, more than 33,490 children in Polk County, roughly 20.8% of local youth, experience food insecurity. The clubs work to address that directly through on-site meal and snack programs, making sure kids show up ready to learn.

Boys and Girls Clubs of Polk County was also named a 2025 Advocate for Youth by Boys and Girls Clubs of America, a national recognition honoring the organization’s commitment to raising awareness and driving action for the kids and teens it serves.

Boys and Girls Club Week runs June 23 through 27. Families in Haines City interested in enrolling their children or learning more about summer programming can visit bgcpolk.org.

Sources: City of Haines City Commission Agenda, June 18, 2026, hainescity.com; Boys and Girls Clubs of Polk County, bgcpolk.org; Daily Ridge, May 8, 2026, dailyridge.com