Mayor Nic Hunter was joined by other area elected officials and representatives from Boys & Girls Clubs of Acadiana and Cheniere Energy to announce the establishment of a Boys & Girls Club location at Columbus Circle Recreation Center in Lake Charles.

“This is a big day for Lake Charles,” said Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter. “Today’s announcement means the re-establishment of a Boys & Girls Clubs of America location in the City. It also represents the establishment of a brand new partnership under the Partners in Parks initiative. We are looking forward to working with Boys & Girls Clubs of Acadiana and Cheniere Energy to bring large-scale impacts to Columbus Circle and the youth of the surrounding community.”

In addition to use of the City’s facility, Cheniere Energy is donating $100,000 to the establishment of the Club and is working with Boys & Girls Clubs of Acadiana on a long-term partnership for the Lake Charles facility.

“The Cheniere Foundation is proud to make this significant investment in the lives of children in Southwest Louisiana,” added Maas Hinz, Cheniere’s Vice President and General Manager of Sabine Pass LNG. “This partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs will help ensure that students across the region will have access to programs and services that will prepare our next generation of leaders.”

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Boys & Girls Clubs of Acadiana and the Lake Charles project represents the organization’s first expansion into a new community in 20 years.

“On behalf of the Corporate Board of Directors of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Acadiana, we are incredibly excited about the opportunity to provide the youth of Lake Charles with a high-quality and impactful after-school and summer program,” Grant Guillote, 2020 Chairman of the Board for Boys & Girls Clubs of Acadiana, said. “We believe that all kids, regardless of zip code or socioeconomic circumstances, deserve access to the opportunities and experiences provided by a Boys & Girls Club.  We would like to thank Cheniere Energy and the City of Lake Charles for their commitment to this project.”

Boys & Girls Clubs of Acadiana operates under a mission to enable all young people, especially those with the most need, to reach their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens.

In July of 2018 Mayor Nic Hunter, on behalf of the City of Lake Charles, launched the citywide Partners in Parks initiative aimed at combining private and public dollars to improve park infrastructure and expand programming. Since its inception, Partners in Parks has added more than half a million dollars into City parks with no additional burden to tax payers.