Remarks Of Senator Patrick Leahy
At The Burlington Boys And Girls Club’s 60^th Anniversary
September 14, 2002

As a long-time supporter of Boys and Girls Clubs, I am honored to speak here at the Burlington Boys & Girls Club 60^th Anniversary celebration.

In Vermont, Boys and Girls Clubs have succeeded in preventing crime and supporting our children.  The Boys and Girls Club of Burlington was the first in Vermont, and its leadership has served as a first-rate model for the other five Boys & Girls Clubs in Brattleboro, Montpelier, Randolph, Rutland, and Vergennes.  Indeed, it and the other clubs are such shining examples that four more new Boys & Girls Clubs in the works in Barre, Bellows Falls, Bennington and Northfield.  I hope today=s gathering will inspire every community in Vermont to get more involved in building the character of our young people.

As a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I am proud to have supported more Federal funding for Boys and Girls Clubs.  Since 1998, Congress has increased federal support for Boys and Girls Clubs from $20 million to $70 million this year.  Next year, the Senate Appropriations Committee has recommended $80 million in spending for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.  That is why we have now 3,103 Boys and Girls Clubs in all 50 States serving more than 3 million young people.  The Boys & Girls Club of Burlington alone serves over 1,400 youth each year.  It is a true success story.

Next week, I will be chairing a conference committee where we plan to draft legislation to reauthorize Department of Justice grants for new Boys and Girls Clubs in each of our 50 States.  By authorizing $80 million in Justice grants for each of the next 4 years, we hope to establish 1,200 additional Boys and Girls Clubs nationwide to bring the total number of Boys and Girls Clubs to 4,000.  These Clubs will serve 6 million young people by January 1, 2007.

Parents, educators, law enforcement officers and other Vermonters know that we need safe havens where our youth – on whom the future of our State and country relies – can learn and grow up free from the influences of drugs, gangs and crime.  That is why Boys and Girls Clubs are so important to our children.  We Vermonters are fortunate to have an array of prevention programs for our youth – ranging from Boys and Girls Clubs, YMCA programs, and 4-H Clubs.

When I was State=s Attorney for Chittenden County, we never had trouble from children in these kinds of programs.  In fact, after I became a U.S. Senator, a police chief was such a big fan that he asked me to help fund a Boys and Girls Club in his district rather than giving him a couple more police officers.

Your collective efforts to support the Burlington Boys and Girls Club, as well as serve as a role model to new Clubs across Vermont are making a real difference in the lives of thousands of Vermont children and teenagers.  Congratulations to all of you for a job well done.