Reid honored at opening of renovated Boys & Girls Club facility

By Jean Reid Norman

Thursday, April 9, 2009 | 7:40 p.m.

The grand opening of the newly renovated John C. Kish Boys & Girls Club Thursday was a reunion of current and former members, allowing youngsters wearing club T-shirts to mingle with politicians in suits.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who as a teenager learned how to box at an older incarnation of the club, was there to be inducted into the Boys & Girls Club of America Hall of Fame, which includes other famous club alumni such as Denzel Washington, Shaquille O'Neal and Michael Jordan.

The newest renovation at the club at 401 Drake Street provides 18,000 square feet of space, with a gym, cafeteria, arts center, computer rooms and separate space for teens and younger children. The renovation was paid for with $3.5 million in donations, Director Mike Meyer said.

Reid said the club played a crucial role in his life as well as in the lives of his friends and other Henderson youngsters — a role it's still playing.

"I asked the kids who are here what they are doing here," he said. "They say they are here because they have no other place to go. That's why we went."

The club's boxing ring became a place to settle personal disputes, Reid said.

"We came to the realization if were going to have a fight, it should be in a confined space, a fair fight," he said.

There were lessons to be learned as well, he said.

"We learned when to fight and when not to fight," he said.

The youngsters also learned that no matter how good they thought they were, "there was always someone better," he said.

Since the time when Reid fought at the club, it has moved to a permanent facility on Drake Street and had many additions, former members said.

Architect Mark McGinty of SH Architecture, which donated its services, recalled when as a child 35 years ago he helped his father install plumbing on the original Drake Street building. That building was torn down and replaced with a new structure that includes skylights, low-flow fixtures and other energy-saving features, he said.

"It's time to step into another facility that will last another 30 to 40 years," he said.

During the year of construction, all activities were moved to the gym, and only two days of programming had to be canceled, Meyer said.

Henderson Mayor Jim Gibson was a member of the club as a child. All six of his children went there and he served as a coach at the facility, he said. Along with Reid, he recalled fond memories and said it was important that the club remain on Drake Street, in an economically disadvantaged neighborhood.

"The services provided here are tailored to the needs of the children who come here," he said. "A place like this provides a more level playing field."