More children will now be able to have safe transportation from school to the Max M. Fisher Boys & Girls Club in Riviera Beach, Fla thanks to a brand new, 72-passenger school bus. This extraordinary gift to the Club was made possible by the wife and son of Siro DeGasperis, Roberta and David DeGasperis. “The DeGasperis family continues to support the Club that was nearest and dearest to Siro’s heart,” Steve Cornette, Chief Club Operations Officer. “He was a very active member of the Club’s Advisory Board, spending countless hours making sure the children always had the support they needed to reach for their dreams. This wonderful gift made in his honor continues his legacy.”
The Blue Bird bus made its arrival at the Club on August 19 and was put to work providing immediate relief to parents relying on the Club’s transportation program.
Ribbon Cutting for the new bus for
Max M. Fisher Boys & Girls Club provided with
seed money from the DeGasperis Family
As it is Boys & Girls Clubs’ mission to be where we are needed most, Clubs are traditionally located in low-income neighborhoods with higher adult and juvenile crime. This poses a substantial risk for youth to safely arrive at afterschool-time venues. In response, Clubs maintain a fleet of buses to guarantee access to much-needed afterschool education opportunities for all, regardless of income.
If not for the Club and the transportation services it provides, Club members would face no other alternative than riding their regular school bus at the end of the school day to an empty home. They would remain unsupervised during these critical afterschool hours when they are most vulnerable. The Clubs’ transportation and programming promote peace of mind among parents. As a result, parents know their child is in a safe environment, being nurtured by caring youth development professionals, receiving homework help and academic support. This also affords parents the ability to maintain their employment. During the summer months, the availability of safe, reliable transportation will ensure that members at all Club sites enjoy a full day of superior programs, which will include the same, high-quality, fun and educational field trips that their peers at other camps experience. Many of the members’ favorite destinations are located at least an hour away from Club locations. Safe transportation helps to ensure equity across all Clubs.
“We have learned through the years that our transportation program is an essential service to our program and for families,” said Steve Cornette, Chief Club Operations Officer. “Most parents in the communities we serve lack the means to retrieve their children at the end of the day, nor do they allow their children to walk home due to safety concerns.”
To ensure that Boys & Girls Club of Palm Beach County children continue to receive transportation, click on the button below.
