Tom Maas Clubhouse is expected to open and be fully operational by this summer
PASO ROBLES — The Boys & Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast (BGCMCC) is getting closer to opening their Tom Maas Clubhouse in Paso Robles on Oak Street. Must! Charities raised funds to complete the build with their first Purpose fundraiser held in August 2021.
On Mar. 3, Must! Charities provided an update on the clubhouse’s progress to those who raised their paddles at the Purpose fundraising event. Philanthropists and wineries raised $1,300,000 at the event. Of that total, $543,000 went to finishing the Tom Maas Clubhouse build.
Must! Charities have been a long-time supporter of local Boys & Girls Clubs. The Flamson Middle School clubhouse was their first project back in 2012. Recently, they helped open Boys & Girls Clubs in Creston and Shandon. However, this is the first new building they have helped finance. Must! Charities Executive Director Becky Gray has been with the nonprofit organization since its start.
“We always knew that clubs and support for families, especially in the most outlying areas of our community, is where the need is most,” said Gray.
Must! Charities work with existing nonprofits as a support system to make a more focused impact through collaboration, empowering them to make strategic, sustainable change. This year the charity will be celebrating 10 years of creating change within the community.
Since their start, Must! Charities have committed over $3.5 million into the community. By the end of their first decade, Grays says they hope to reach $4 million.
At Must! they make investments that address the most critical needs in the community, from youth mentorship to poverty to hunger. And they identify the most pressing needs, vet organizations that are serving those needs, then invest in their infrastructure, so they are well-positioned to create positive, measurable change for years to come.
“We come in as heavy dollars and then slowly wean ourselves off in a time period that works for them — it’s kind of like planting seed money,” explains Gray.
The new clubhouse is near completion and is getting some personal touches from current Boys & Girls Club kids. Four clubhouse kids entered their artwork to be featured on a mural inside the building, and all four artwork pieces are being rendered in the mural.
On Apr. 12, 2021, The Boys & Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast (BGCMCC) broke ground for the new Tom Maas Clubhouse at 3301 Oak St in Paso Robles. The new clubhouse is set to replace the current one located at Flamson Middle School on Spring Street. The facility is a $3.5 million project named in honor of Tom Maas, a local philanthropist, business owner, and winemaker who passed in 2019. Tom and his wife Kathleen donated the property to BGCMCC in 2019.
In 2016, it became evident to board members that they needed a larger building due to a growing waiting list for children to get into the club.
The new facility will be home to an outdoor basketball court, multi-purpose room, commercial kitchen, stem lab, and computer lab. The club offers homework tutoring and other programs that will pique youth’s interest.
The Tom Maas Clubhouse is expected to open and be fully operational by this summer.
To learn more about the BGCMCC, visit bgccentralcoast.org/index.html
For more information on MUST! Charities visit mustcharities.org
