Fifty years ago, Lee County’s population was about 160,000. Fort Myers and Cape Coral were the county’s only incorporated areas. Agriculture drove the economy, not tourism. There wasn’t a whole lot for locals to do beyond the beaches, with just a handful of shopping plazas, movie theaters and recreational amenities at the time.
Yet, even in a largely undeveloped community, children and teens had a place to go. Back then, community leaders had just established Boys & Girls Clubs of Lee County to give youth a safe place to play, study and socialize. Its after-school program offered “latchkey kids” a place to go for a few hours after school. The summer program was ideal because it provided full-day programs when school wasn’t in session.
Here we are five decades later and Boys & Girls Clubs of Lee County is still serving a vital role. Today, there are eight community-, neighborhood- and school-based centers that serve 1,400 club members annually…