Oscar Cross Boys and Girls Club celebrates passage of land legislation

The Oscar Cross Boys and Girls Club celebrated the passage of federal legislation allowing the transfer of the land it occupies.

The Club welcomed Congressman James Comer, Senator Rand Paul, elected officials from Paducah and McCracken County, and community stakeholders to the celebration on Saturday. Comer led the effort to remove land restrictions on the property. The site of the former National Guard armory had been transferred to the City of Paducah, which gave use of the land to the Boys and Girls Club. However, the U.S. Department of the Interior and the National Park Service maintained some control of the property and would not allow the city to deed the land to the Club.

The legislation filed by Comer in the House and championed by Paul and McConnell in the Senate finally cleared both chambers and was signed into law by President Trump. With ownership of the land, the Club can fundraise and renovate the building to better fit its current needs, as well as plan for the future. A new gym and additional classrooms are planned for the building.

Club CEO Andrew McGlenon said that they are embarking on a $5 million capital campaign to pay for the renovation and expansion. He said that with the additional space, they can serve more kids. McGlenon said they are currently serving about 150 kids, and they hope to double that with the additional room. He added that the goal is to provide a path to hope, breaking cycles of struggle for the kids in the programs. He highlighted the Club mantra “Great Futures Start Here” when talking about the positive impact they can make on the overall future of the community.

Comer said the process of getting something done that was lobbied for by the local community, passed through both the House and the Senate, and then being signed into law by the President shows that effecting change is possible. He said, “This shows our democratic process is working. And it’s just great to see something good happen in Washington and then the local community is going to take this project and make this community even better.”

Paul added that he enjoys working on projects that get the federal government out of people’s way. He said that local control is almost always better and that clubs like this one provide a constructive, positive environment for kids.