THE SALEM BOYS &
GIRLS CLUB MONTHLY
NEWSLETTER
CONTRIBUTORS:
GREGG CASAZZA
SALEM HIGH
SCHOOL INTERN
Monthly Newsletter
V O L U M E
DENISE
DOLLOFF
3 ,
I S S U E
1
D E C E M B E R
2 0 1 4
Thanksgiving Dinner Success
SCARLETTE
LEBLANC
CYNTHIA
MCKEON
JEFF DISALVO
BETH KEANE
By Denise Dolloff:
JOANNE FLYNN
COLIN HANLON
INSIDE THIS
ISSUE:
ANNUAL HOLIDAY 3
BREAKFAST
PRIDE
PENTATHOLON
3
PRESCHOOL
THANKSGIVING
FESTIVITIES
4
SWIMMER OF THE
MONTHS
5
(OCTOBER & NOVEMBER)
SEALIONS SWIM
MEET
6
STAFF OF THE
MONTH
6
NEW TEEN
DIRECTOR
7
On Tuesday, November 18th, the staff,
volunteers and the Salem NH Farmers Market
hosted the first Thanksgiving Dinner for our
Club families. A staggering 300 people enjoyed
a delicious turkey dinner with all the fixings.
The event was a success and enjoyed
by all who attended. Thank you to the Salem
NH Farmers Market (Kay Barretto, Jane Lang,
Peggy Tripp and others) for their
contributions with the vegetables,
coordination of food donations and
volunteering for the event from beginning to
end. Thank you to staff and board members
who prepared food, cooked the turkeys, set
up dinner, served dinner and helped with clean
-up. Thank you to the Knights of Columbus
for allowing us to borrow their tables. It was a
wonderful way to kick off the holiday season.
Heather Johansen and her friend Brianna
Ayou meeting up at the dinner
to thank all of its wonderful supporters and
members for all the years of great service and
participation. There is nothing the Club loves
more than being able to give back to the
community.
Participants left the Club blissfully
stuffed with all their favorite Thanksgiving
treats and the Club was especially thankful for
all the bright and happy faces which filled the
Teen Center during the dinner. During this
season of thankfulness the Club would just like
Alberto Fontanez (front) and others getting their plates
filled by Peggy Tripp
Hailey Johansen (right) and friend, Jetta Lima (left)
also attended the event with their families
PAGE
2
The BGCGS Belongs to all of Us
Letter from our CPO Colin Hanlon
“No gift is too big
or too small when
it comes to our
children’s futures.”
-Colin Hanlon
Since 1967, the Boys & Girls Club of
Greater Salem has helped to provide
Great Futures for all young people who
enter our doors, especially those who
need us most. Throughout the year, we
are given the gift of amazing kids who
come into our Club every day and share
with us their stories of determination,
triumph, and perseverance. You can join
in this season and help us Give the Gift of
a Great Future to the kids in our community. Without safe havens like Boys &
Girls Clubs, children have fewer opportunities to receive positive guidance and
support.
The Boys & Girls Club of Greater
Salem is the largest youth serving agency
in the greater Salem area providing
opportunities during the critical before
and after school hours for over 300 children daily. The Club is uniquely
situated to provide high-quality
programs that foster academic success,
healthy lifestyles, and good character and
citizenship. These facts, combined with a
well-trained, caring staff, make the
difference.
The cost to provide services to one
of these children is $1100 per year. An
annual membership is just $50. That’s
where YOU can make a difference. With
your support, we can continue to make a
difference in the lives of our Club
members and their families.
Donating is simple, please visit our
website: https://salembgc.org/get involved/donate
No gift is too big or too small when
it comes to our children’s futures.
Join me in creating hope & opportunity
for all of our kids.
Colin Hanlon
Chief Professional Officer
Letter From Our CVO
Letter from our CVO Joanne Flynn
November marks the beginning of the
holiday season which is a season of thankfulness and giving. I am fortunate to have the
opportunity to work with the Boys & Girls
Club of Greater Salem which provides fun,
engaging, high-quality programs that promote
academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles. I am
thankful for the caring staff at the Club who
come to work each day and make a positive
difference in our Club kid’s lives. I am thankful
for our volunteers and board
members who give endless hours helping out
at the Club, raising funds for the Club, soliciting donations, serving on committees, working
at Texas Hold’em and attending
meetings. I am thankful for our sponsors,
supporters and donors who realize the value
of a Boys & Girls Club and how their investment in the Club directly affects the quality of
life in our community. We have a generous
business community that is consistently
providing opportunities for our Club, thank
you.
We could not carry out the mission of
this Club without the dedication and
commitment of all of the folks mentioned
above.
So as the holiday season approaches, I
wanted to say thank you and wish you all joy
and happiness.
Happy Holidays,
Joanne Flynn
Chief Volunteer Officer
VOLUME
3,
ISSUE
1
PAGE
3
SBGC Shines at PRIDE Pentathlon
By Scarlette LeBlanc,
The Boys & Girls Club of Greater Salem Sea Lions turned in a number of outstanding performances as
they soared to an outstanding 697
point second place finish in the Boys
& Girls Club of Greater Nashua Pride
Swim Pentathlon. Eighteen of the
teams 23 swimmers managing to
score valuable team points.
Leading the way for the Sealions
was the eight and under trio of Ava
Balukonis, Sophia Militello and Andrew Hardjosuwito. Baloukonis lead
the way with a 78 point performance
good for the meets second place
trophy. Ava took a pair of second
place finishes taking the 25 back in
(23:47) and the 25 breast in (26:84).
This was combined with a (31:28)
third place finish in the 25 butterfly, a
(2:07:41) fourth place finish in the 100
individual medley and a (22:71) sixth
place finish in the 25 free.
Ten and under age group action found
nine year old Julian Militello taking
home a third place trophy after scoring 72 points. Taking third in the 50
free (41:78), a pair of fourth place
finishes in the 50 back (50:12) and 50
breast (1:00:58) alongside a fifth in the
100 IM (2:00:94) and a (1:02:26) seventh place finish in the 50 fly. Other
medal winners included 14 and under
Matt Fraser who took home the age
groups fourth place medal after scoring 78 points in exciting age group
action. Fraser managed three third
place finishes taking the 50 fly in
(37:66), the 50 back in (41:02), and
the 100 IM in (1:31:81). Fraser rounded out his day with a pair of fourth
place finishes taking the 50 breast
(49:22) and the 50 free in (32:53).
Photo: (L-R) (Front) Head Coach Ed McLaughlin, Hailey Johansen , Heather
Johansen, Erin Reilly, Jacob Arcidiacono, Riley Militello , Lauren Huyck.
(Middle) Coach Alysha Poulin, Cecilia Souza, Maddie Craig, Matt Fraser,
Andrew Hardsujwito, Kate Arcidiacono, (Rear) Callie Arcidiacono, Sophia
Militello, Ava Balukonis , Julian Militello and Coach Heather Arcidiacono.
Annual Holiday Breakfast
By Gregg Casazza:
As one of the Club’s most beloved
traditions the Annual Holiday Breakfast
returned for its 11th year Saturday
December 6th. This breakfast event
was sponsored by the Bank of New
England and included a delicious food, a
visit from Santa, gifts, music and movies.
Children were each given a gift from
Santa himself after they told him what
they wanted for Christmas. From the
breakfast to the raffles participants had
a great time, and were in the Christmas
spirit as soon as they entered the Teen
Room upstairs on the day of the event.
For only $5 a person, children came to
the event with their parents and
enjoyed a breakfast of pancakes,
sausages, and much more. Tickets were
sold the day of the event for the festivities
which ran from 9-11am.
Chris Woodby, the coordinator of
the event, said that, “The Holiday
Breakfast is all about giving back to the
community.” The Boys & Girls Club of the
Greater Salem area brings families
together in the community to have fun
and enjoy a special time with their families
this Holiday season. We were proud to
host the Annual Holiday Breakfast as one
of these special family oriented events.
Thank you to Bank of New England for
helping us bring holiday cheer to our
community.
Santa reads to some of the children at
the event
VOLUME
3,
ISSUE
1
PAGE
Preschool Program
The class also made their very own teepee which the kids
enjoy spending time in
The class reenacting the first Thanksgiving
By Cynthia McKeon:
Wow, December is here
already! The Preschool had a
very busy November. The
children learned about how
the Native Americans and
Pilgrims shared and
cooperated to have the first
Thanksgiving. The unit ended
with the children making
butter, corn muffins and
turkey soup to share at our
annual. Thanksgiving feast.
Our
first
swim
observation of the year went
well. The children were so
excited to show off their
swim knowledge to the
visiting parents and guests.
Our next observation will be
in February.
During the month of
December, we will begin a
partnership with Peoples
United Bank. Volunteers will
visit us and teach basic
financial literacy, highlighting
the importance of savings.
In t he season of
thankfulness, we would like
to express our sincerest
gratitude to all our
wonderful
families.
Together we can achieve
great things! Happy Holidays
from all of us to all of you.
4
VOLUME
3,
ISSUE
1
PAGE
Swimmers of The Month
Libby Nichols 11& Under
November Swimmer of the month
Riley Militello 12 & Older
November Swimmer of the month
Swimmer Winners
For October
Ethan Flakne
swimmer of the
month for ages
8 and up
Chloe
Beauchesne
swimmer of the
month for ages
8 and under
Basketball Tryouts
“Each of these
teams will be
By Gregg Casazza:
We are looking for
competing in
three basketball teams this
year, a Boys 15 & under and
the very
Boys 18 & under, as well as a
exciting
Girls 14 & under team. Each
NENEAPC
of these teams will be
League against competing in the very
exciting NENEAPC League
other Boys &
against other Boys & Girls
Girls Clubs from Clubs from Southern NH &
Southern NH & the Greater Boston Area.
There is NO tryout fee,
the Greater
though there will be a
Boston Area”
moderate League fee once
the teams are chosen. The
tryout dates for the 14 &
Under Girls Team is
December 10th 6:00-7:30pm
&
December
11th
7:30-9:00pm. The 15 &
Under Boys Team is
December 8th 6:00-7:30pm
and December 9th 6:007:30pm. The 18 & Under
Boys Team is December 8th
7:30-9:00pm and December
9th 7:30-9:00pm.
The club is also searching for a new Girls Head
Coach for the Girls 14 and
under, please contact Athletic Director, Jeff DiSalvo for
more
information.
(603) 898-7709 ex11. This
season is sure to be another
fun filled and thrilling one
just as last year, and all the
coaches look forward to the
first practices and games.
5
VOLUME
3,
ISSUE
1
PAGE
6
Swim Meet- SBGC vs Lawrence BGC
By Scarlette LeBlanc:
The Boys & Girls Club of
Greater Salem marked their return
to Boys & Girls Club swimming
with a spectacular performance at
the Lawrence Boys & Girls Club.
The team managed to take wins in
22 of 33 individual events, while
winning seven of 10 relays.
Leading the way for the Salem
Club was the team’s 11-12 squad
who swept all eight of the meets
events. Coming out on top was the
duo of Molly Porter and Sergei
Kirilin each with a pair of victories.
Porter managed wins in the 50 free
in a time of (35:90) while also taking the top spot in the 50 back
(41:91). Kirilin took victories in the
100 free (1:28:69), as well a
smooth and fast 50 breast win in
(53:25). ). Riley Militello took an incredible win in the 100 individual medley in
(1:34:25) shaving 8.90 seconds off his
previous best. Other meet standouts
included, Delaney Stone with a win in
the 50 butterfly (47:00).
The teams eight and under division
made their dual meet debut also taking
all of the divisions eight events. Leading
the way for the mighty Sealions was Ava
Balukonis with a (1:58:28) win in the 100
individual medley, as well as a (31:03)
win in the 25 fly. Joining Ava in the winner’s circle was Sophia Militello who also
came up with a win in the 25 free
(19:72). She was joined by teammate
Andrew Hardjosuwito who gifted the
squad with a (28:69) win in the 25
breast. Rounding out the winners were
Bennett Atkins with a (48:00) win in the
50 free and Mary Olsen with a (27:63) in
the 25 back. Eight and under relay action
found the 100 medley relay team of
Bennett Atkins, Balukonis, Chloe
Beuchesne and Hardjosuwito take a
(1:43:25) win, while the 100 freestyle relay
team of Haley Consoli, Callie Arcidiacono,
Olsen and Militello captured a (1:43:69)
win.
Staff of the Month for November
Ashley Garcia
Here are some great things people have to say about
Ashley: "She is a great staff member, good with kids and is always
helping by cleaning the food area and setting up for dinner! She
has helped out with the homework room and other areas.
Ashley will do anything we ask her to do, even the yucky jobs!
She has taken on a large responsibility in the homework room
and has done a great job! Ashley is working hard in the
homework room, trying to help things run smoothly. Despite
how difficult it can be in there she is helpful and kind to the
children!
Thanks for all you do to make our Club GREAT, Ashley!!
New Teen Director
By: Gregg Casazza
The Club is proud to
Introduce our new Teen
Center Director David Razo,
Jr. He was born and raised in
Palm Springs, California, and
attended and competed
collegiality in wrestling at
California Baptist University in
Riverside, California. Upon
graduation, he traveled to
Mexico City, Mexico where he
lived for 6 months.
Before moving to New
England, David worked for
Rite of Passage in San Andreas,
California, a facility for at risk
teens from all over the state.
It was here that he gained a
true passion for helping youth,
to be a positive role model, a
coach, mentor, and most of all
someone to help lead them in
the right direction on the path
of life. Growing up in the
Boys & Girls Club, he can
attest to its importance and
inspiration, and the great
memories and life lessons the
Club taught him over the
years. He is eager and excited
to continue helping the youth
our nation, to do good and be
good in all aspects of life.
Breaking a 20 Year Record
David Razo Jr. the new teen director
Save the Date!
Ugly Sweater Party
Friday, December19th, 2014
Youth of the Year Annual Dinner
February 5th, 2015
26th Annual John P. Ganley
Community Service Award Luncheon
on St. Patrick’s Day
Congratulations to
Andrew Hardjosuwito
who broke a 20 year old
team record in the 25
Breaststroke with a time
of 25.36
Tuesday, March 17th, 2015
28th Annual Spring Charity
Auction
Saturday, April 18th, 2015
December 2014 Calendar
Sun
7
14
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
1
2
3
4
8
9
10
11
15
16
17
18
Swim Lessons
Current Enrollment
Early Release
School
Swim Lessons Open
enrollment
21
22
School Vacation
5
23
24
School Vacation Fun
Swim 9 & 11 am
29
30
31
School Vacation
Fun Swim 9,11,1&3
School Vacation
Fun Swim 9,11,1&3
School Vacation
Fun Swim 9,11&1
3 Geremonty Drive
Salem, NH 03079
25
School Vacation
Sat
6
-Sea Lions Meet Roxbury BGC
-Swim Lessons Report Cards
-Last day to view festival of
trees
12
13
19
20
Salem High School
Home Meet
Ugly Sweater
Party
Preschool Holiday
Party
28
Fri
Home Meet vs.
Woburn BGC
-Sea Lions Meet
Worcester BGC
-Swim Lessons Last Class
26
27
School Vacation
Fun Swim 9,11,1&3
School Vacation
NON-PROFIT
ORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT #84
SALEM, NH
03079