‘So proud of what we accomplished’

The new Royce and Melba Roberts Campus of the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Kenai Peninsula was dedicated Saturday with a ribbon-cutting and donor recognition.

Located down South Spruce Street, across from the LeeShore Center, the new campus features a gymnasium, child care facility, classrooms, kitchen and administrative offices. Even as the clubs’ board of directors welcomed people into the clubs’ new home, they pointed to continued development at the site — including an under-construction clubhouse and a planned playground and soccer field.

The new campus, clubs’ CEO Shanette Wik said, will let the clubs expand their services to add more before-school programming, “STEM Saturdays,” birthday party rentals and more.

The new gym, especially, will allow for kids to run and play in cold winter months.

Tours were available during the opening event, where clubs staff explained the services and opportunities available in the new child care facility. Children as young as 8 weeks can be served in the infant day care facility, while other classrooms are geared toward older students through preschool.

Jeff Dolifka, vice president of the board, said the story of the new campus began in November 2020, when an unnamed potential donor reached out to the clubs and asked what they might do with inherited money. The board, through Dolifka, responded that they wanted to build a campus — buy land, design facilities and construct offices, classrooms, a kitchen, a gym and a field.

They didn’t hear anything else until Dec. 1, 2021, Dolifka said. They were notified that Royce and Melba Roberts had bequeathed a portion of their estate to the clubs. Royce had died in August of that year, Melba in 2015. In a testimony shared by Dolifka during his address, the pair were characterized as generous, diligent and hard-working. Royce served on the board of the clubs in the 1980s.

“The Roberts gave us our opportunity,” Dolifka said. “I believe we have taken full advantage of it. I believe they will be proud to have served as a catalyst for such positive change in our community.”

Speakers on Saturday also credited other people and businesses who’d given to the club to support development of the campus, including U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, the Rasmuson Foundation, ConocoPhillips, G & S Construction, the City of Kenai, Marathon Petroleum, First National Bank Alaska and Scott and Lela Rosin.

“I’m so proud of what we accomplished,” Dolifka said. “I’m even more proud of what we will be able to accomplish in the future.”

The event closed with a dedication of the gym marked by “ceremonial first shots.” Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Peter Micciche scored a goal with a soccer ball, and Mike Navarre sunk a basketball in the gym’s hoop.

For more information, find “Boys & Girls Clubs of the Kenai Peninsula” on Facebook or visit bgckp.org.

Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.