By Jim Doody
The kitchen that serves all seven of the Boys and Girls Club of the Northtowns chapters is set to reopen today after undergoing a complete overhaul that started in June.
The idea started last March when the club’s Chief Professional Officer Phil Penichter approached Rob Albert, a member of the club’s board of directors and president of Impressive Imprints, to advise him that the kitchen in the City of Tonawanda clubhouse was in need of a new stove.
“When I saw the condition of the kitchen, I said to (Penichter), we need a lot more than a stove,” said Albert.
The two then made plans to replace the cupboards, bring in two new microwaves, a new dishwasher, a floor and countertops, among other items. Their plan was to not only to update things the kitchen already had in place, but to dramatically expand the kitchen’s resources.
“Basically, just the whole kitchen was redone,” said Bob O’Brocta, director of the Franklin Club chapter.
Using donated funds from the Impressive Imprints Dart Tournament fundraiser, the Franklin Club was able to purchase its new stove. However, they quickly discovered they would need a second stove, as well as new gas and electrical lines.
Albert sought the funds the club needed from local businesses and organizations, who donated far more than expected.
Lowe’s donated free cabinets, as well as labor, totaling more than $20,000. The Exchange Club of the Tonawandas chipped in $2,500. State Senator George Maziarz contributed $5,000.
“This went from a $700 to a $70,000 project thanks to the enthusiasm of (Albert),” said Penichter.
Former Franklin Club members and volunteers were also very involved in the kitchen’s renovation.
The Bouquets for Barb Feuz Committee, a group devoted to the late Barb Feuz, was very active in the project. The kitchen at the Franklin Club was a passion of Feuz’s, and the group has continued her devotion, soliciting donations amounting to $7,000.
Mandy Shepler, a woman in her 20s, donated her $1,400 winnings at a tournament to help the club that she grew up in.
“It just snowballed, which is a fun thing to see. Lots of people don’t have that luck,” said the club’s director of development Sara Brockvescio.
Nearly 90 people donated their services to the effort.
The community involvement allowed Albert and Penichter to move much more quickly on their vision for the kitchen, as it was stripped down to the bare walls and rebuilt less than nine months after the first conversation about replacing a stove.
A tour of the new Franklin Club kitchen facilities and a ribbon cutting ceremony will take place at the Boys and Girls Club, 435 Franklin St. at 4 p.m. today.
