Denver Boys & Girls Clubs provide a wide range of experiences for children

The Together for Colorado Toy Drive collects new, unwrapped toys for children ages 5 to 18. They are distributed through the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver. The Clubs serve some of the city's most underserved neighborhoods. There are 27 clubs across the Metro Area. Members can get homework help, a hot meal, organized sports, access to technology, and enrichment field trips.

Every year, the clubs come together for Techzilla, a STEM tournament among members. Organizers set up a variety of science, technology, engineering, and math activities and the club teams compete to complete them. It's an opportunity for the children to try new activities. 

"I've done it almost every year, and it's really fun," said Allison, a 9-year-old club member. 

Allison and her friend, Evelyn, are from the Broncos Boys & Girls Club. They're teaming up to take on the challenges together. 

"I made a hover disc. It was really fun. Me and one of my teammates, Allison, we built it together," Evelyn told CBS News Colorado. 

In another challenge, they built a protective structure in a twist on the "Egg Drop Challenge."

"If we try new things then we get to learn from experience, and you can try again. If we don't try new things, you might thing you don't like it, but you don't know actually because you haven't tried it," Allison explained.

Part of the Boys & Girls Club mission is to let its members try a wide variety of activities, so they learn from their experiences. 

"I just finished Techsperts, that's mostly about learning things about the compute and like how to like code it and all that," Evelyn said. 

It was math skills that come into play at the Sudoko challenge. Evelyn and Allison take it on together. 

"It was really hard. I had to count on my fingers, but I think I got them all right," Allison told CBS News Colorado.

"The most fun thing I have done so far is being with my teammates and just enjoying their company," Evelyn said. 

Koaj also enjoys his time with friends at his Boys & Girls Club. He likes playing sports at the club.

"I coach the 6,7,8 co-ed basketball team. I just coached their game Thursday night, and they won 14 to 4. It was a good game. They all knew what to do...well not all of them...but they still know what to do to get the points on the board," Koaj told CBS News Colorado. 

The 12-year-old likes the challenge of getting the younger members all on the same page. 

"I've learned that you've always got to stay disciplined and nothing comes to you for granted and if it does, don't take it for granted, take it as a blessing," Koaj said. 

NaOki was disciplined last year when she applied for and won Youth of the Year at her club. Youth of the Year is a Boys & Girls Club program that teaches responsibility, public speaking, and leadership. 

"It is hard to be a leader because you're not always going to have the same opinion as someone else," NaOki said. 

The 13-year-old learned that leadership is more than just being in charge, you have to be someone that others look up to. 

"You always have to know how to compromise and be able to say, 'This time we can do what you want, but next time we can do my stuff too.' And you have to be able to make sure everyone is happy with the decision or at least not too mad at the decision that you make," she explained.

NaOki feels like one of the best decisions she ever made was becoming a Boys & Girls Club member. 

"If I didn't come to Boys & Girls Club and get familiar with all the things they have going on, I don't think I would have the same opportunities," NaOki said. 

Opportunities are abundant at the Boys & Girls Club of Metro Denver. That is where the Together for Colorado Toy Drive comes in. The goal is to level the playing field and make sure that every child feels the magic of the season. Like all kids, club members get excited about getting something new. Many of their families don't have the extra money for gifts so sometimes older kids get left out. 

"It's not important that everyone gets a toy because some people understand that I'm not always going to get what I want, but for the littler kids I feel like it's kind of important that they get to go home with something, so that way they feel special," NaOki said. 

LINK: Together for Colorado Toy Drive

The Together for Colorado Toy Collection Day is Thursday, December 12, 2024. Michelle Griego, Brian Flores, Karen Leigh, and Michael Spencer will be collecting toys at the King Soopers at Colorado & Yale from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Your Reporter in Aurora, Tori Mason, will be at the Smoky Hill Marketplace King Soopers from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. Your Reporter in Douglas County, Olivia Young, will be at the store on S. University Blvd. in Highlands Ranch from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. Your Reporter in Jefferson County, Andrew Haubner and Karen Morfitt, will be at the King Soopers at Bel Mar from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. Your Reporter in Adams County, Gabriela Vidal, will be at the new King Soopers in Thornton from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.