By Craig Marx, Editor

The Boys & Girls Club of Langlade County wraps up its Sizzlin’ Summer Camp with their End of Summer Extravaganza this week, where, much like the end of the school year festivities, awards are given to camp participants with a chance to cut loose one last time.

After the award ceremony and lunch, attendees had a chance to spend their second to last day of the camp running potato sack races, painting faces, and jumping in a bounce house on site. For those members that had wanted to prank their camp administrators and Club staff throughout the summer, last Thursday was the chance to do so. By hosting a “staff prank raffle” the kids of the Club had the opportunity to decorate a staff member’s face with ice cream and chocolate syrup or serve up the more-traditional slapstick prank of a pie to the face.

The end of the summer marks a successful camp run for the Boys & Girls Club. Closing for two weeks once again for maintenance and staff training and opening once again on Sept. 6 for its school year hours, the Club is looking to retain some of the summertime staff that seemed eager to help during the upcoming fall and winter months. A front desk position is still available.

The Club lived up to its reputation as a coordinated and productive program, earning the praise and patronage of the Menominee, Mich. chapter. After hearing about the Langlade County Club’s programs and success, the director of the Menominee Club reached out to program director Dave Corcoran this summer. Expecting a small contingent of the Michigan-based group to visit the facilities and programs in Antigo, the Club soon catered to Menominee’s entire staff and kids that were eager to learn from the nationally-recognized Antigo chapter.

“That day that they came to visit us, with the combination of their kids and ours, we had close to 200 kids in our building which was a lot, but it was awesome. Their staff was so young and energetic that they were asking questions and trying take everything in,” Corcoran said. “They were just so amazed and intrigued with our programs and their structure.”

With the summer programs wrapping up successfully, the Boys & Girls Club looks to the fall and the influx of after-school members to return. Continuing to help mentor youth regardless of the season, the Club has gained a reputation that is spreading its success.

After-school hours for the club are 2:45 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, with teen nights for sixth graders or older held on Tuesdays and Thursdays until 8 p.m. For more information, visit http://bgclang.org/.