Westside Fundraiser: A Tradition of Caring

For over a decade, there has been an amazing group of farmers, producers and business leaders that have dedicated their time, talents and treasures to support the Clubs on the Westside-- Harris Farms and Firebaugh Boys & Girls Clubs.

John Harris, Mark Borba, N.F. Davis Drier & Elevator Company and countless other friends who see the value a Club brings to kids, their families, and the community. To them, it’s personal because many of their employees work long hours in the fields relying on Clubs to care and mentor their children. Knowing their children are in a safe place, finishing their homework, eating a snack and playing with friends gives them peace of mind.

For years there was only a small Club located in Huron, within a public housing unit in partnership with Fresno Housing. The entire Westside community dreamed of bigger things for youth and took action, creating revenue to build a new Club. For 12 years, they have gathered at the Westside Fundraiser Luncheon to continue raising critical dollars– which has generated over $1,000,000! This is a remarkable feat considering the challenging years they have had in their own right.

These two Clubs are unique in their own way. The Firebaugh Club is small but mighty, hosting over 15 kids daily providing homework assistance, and a healthy lifestyle class where youth participate in a cooking class to learn meal preparation. The Club recently provided a youth with a paid 3-week internship where they will complete 20 hours of work and earn $150 through the Career Launch Program. This comprehensive program introduces young people to the world of work, providing both soft and hard skills to help them find and keep jobs.

The Harris Farms Club, although larger, provides the same educational programs as Firebaugh and also expresses pride in their STEM program and Arts & Crafts activities.

Both Clubs have had teens compete in our annual Youth of the Year Competition and participated in summer reading challenges.

“I’ve seen first-hand the impact the Boys & Girls Club has in developing exceptional, productive citizens who care about the community around them.” said Ryan Ferguson F & F West.