This $4.8 million clubhouse will help Tri-Cities kids. Here’s how to get a look inside

The Tri-Cities newest clubhouse featuring sports, art, technology and more celebrates its opening Tuesday.

A ribbon cutting for the new Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton and Franklin Counties clubhouse in Kennewick is at 1:30 p.m. at the 23,000-square-foot facility, 910 W. Seventh Place.

Parking will be tight, so attendees are invited to catch a shuttle from Lampson Stadium starting at 1 p.m. The shuttle service is courtesy of Mercedes Benz of Tri-Cities.

Jim Clark, president of Boys & Girls Club of America, will be on hand for the ceremony, which will be followed by tours.

The clubhouse features a teen room, games room, learning center, art room, a technology lab, a full gym and more.

Plus, it has a self-contained preschool.

The new clubhouse is called the Eerkes Family Branch, in honor of capital campaign chairs Craig and Marilee Eerkes and their family.

“In the past year, we were joined by many caring individuals and businesses that are passionate about helping our community’s youth. Together, we have made this clubhouse a reality for children and families in need of support,” Craig Eerkes said in a statement.

The campaign brought in around $6 million, covering land, construction, equipment and furnishings for the new clubhouse, plus an endowment to ensure sustainability, as well as enhancements and safety/security upgrades at other club facilities.

Neighborhood in need

The facility aims to draw kids from the six-block square between Fourth and 10th avenues and Olympia and Fruitland streets — an area with more than 1,000 school-age youth who face challenges from poverty to increased crime in the area.

“One thing we know is that families want what’s best for their kids. But at the same time, families need to support to help ensure great futures for their kids,” said Brian Ace, executive director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton and Franklin Counties, last month.

“That’s the work and the role that club has — to partner with families to ensure that those kids not only have a dream for what their future could be, but have the resources necessary to achieve that dream,” Ace said.

The Eerkes Family Branch is one of four traditional clubhouses in the local Boys & Girls Clubs’ system, along with two in Pasco and one in Prosser. The club also has 16 school-age licensed childcare programs and six early learning programs.

For more on the club, go to greatclubs.org.