New Club is Open!

It felt like half the town showed up to inaugurate the spiffy, brand new Glenrock Boys & Girls Club Aug. 18 – at least from all of the town and county dignitaries present, it certainly felt like it. In fact, even U.S. Sen. John Barrasso joined in the fun, and spoke, at the event.
Amid the bright, colorful furnishings, books on bookcases and food in the kitchen, the building gifted to the club by Converse County Commissioners and the Town of Glenrock truly felt like the warm, welcoming haven it was meant to be for the community’s youth.
At the ribbon cutting ceremony and official grand opening, emceed by Converse County Commissioner Tony Lehner, youngster Kaycee C. spoke of her excitement for the new facility. She said the Boys & Girls Club provides a safe place for kids like her when parents are at work and on out-of-school days.
Vice President of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Wyoming Board of Directors Diane McGinley praised the community for how quickly everyone rallied to build the club.
One after another, from the club’s founder Mike Colling to Boys & Girls Club of Central Wyoming CEO Ashley Bright, every person who spoke, spoke from their hearts. One message was abundantly clear: Each guest spoke of the love for the  town’s children and the opportunities the new building would provide them.
Colling, a former Glenrock Chief of Police, said at the time he wanted a safe place for the kids to go after school, to have something positive to do after school to keep them engaged and out of mischief. He said he is absolutely delighted to see his vision come to fruition: the Boys & Girls Club of Glenrock has its own building.
One of the highlights of the evening was the cutting of the Herder-purple-colored ribbon by a large group of children who stood up front with the dignitaries, jockeying for just the right spot to wrap their hands around the giant pair of scissors used to do the deed.
Once the purple ribbon was cut, the people in the audience exploded in applause. Lehner even pumped his fist in the air in joyous celebration. Some looked to have tears in their eyes.
But all were smiling happily with a variety of emotions.
“Twenty-two years later we have this wonderful facility. Thank you, tax-payers . . . I’m seeing a building that is actually the Boys & Girls Club. Kids are going to want to go here,” Colling said.
Glenrock Mayor Bruce Roumell said he was thankful for everyone involved in making the dream of the building turn into a reality in just two years. 
It was, he said, a labor of love.
“This is a great place for Glenrock’s children,” he said.