Press Releases

The City of Chicopee has awarded the Boys and Girls Club of Chicopee a grant from the CARES Act funding through the federal Community Development Block Grant funding.  The $250,000 project includes a new 1800 sq. ft. pavilion, ADA upgrades, efficiency upgrades, and safety upgrades.  This will be a welcome addition to the Chicopee campus due to the difficulty of running programs for students and children during the pandemic because of the demand for services, room size and ventilation concerns.  

Congressman Richard E. Neal will be among the speakers this Monday, October 4th as the Club breaks ground on the new pavilion. “The CARES Act is the third bill enacted into law in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and provides historic emergency relief to families, businesses, health care providers and local governments” said Congressman Richard E. Neal, Chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means and one of the authors of this legislation. “This funding awarded to the Chicopee Boys and Girls Club in the form of a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) will allow the Club to make the necessary improvements to their facility for the safety and well-being of all those who gather at the site.”  

Mayor John Vieau will also greet attendees. Mayor Vieau is an avid supporter of the Club and has been involved in different capacities for many years.  "As a teenager, the athletic director with the help of some of my friends and I built a baseball diamond here and to see the expansion and addition of facilities on campus is exciting for all the youth in Chicopee served by the Boys and Girls Club. Recreation and team activities are important and builds social and emotional skills for children."

The groundbreaking ceremony will take place at 1:00pm, outdoors at 580 Meadow Street. In addition to Congressman Neal and Mayor Vieau, the Chicopee Delegation has been invited to attend, along with members of the Board of Directors for the Boys & Girls Club of Chicopee and neighboring businesses.