Circles highlight donor names (upper left). The club appears twice, and Marty and Mary Alice Peters as well as Bill and Kathy Dougherty and members of the Woolley family are also listed. The basketball court and main area are shown- games are available after homework is complete
As a pediatric orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Mark Barry developed skills to engage children. He even made some extra balloon hats on the spot so every child had one.
Wil Lopez (upper right) gave us a tour of the music center at the Polster Youth Arts Academy.
We were in Carmel Valley on November 16, 2023 to tour the Polster Clubhouse and Teen Center, part of one of our most important beneficiaries, Boys & Girls Club of San Dieguito.
Our member, Joe McCleod, who serves as BGC San Dieguito COO, got us started with some history. In the 1970s and 1980s Carmel Valley development was just beginning, but by the 1990s Carmel Valley needed its own middle school. BGC San Dieguito offered to administer after school programs and helped raised the 7 million-plus needed to build the gym and clubhouse.
The Polster Clubhouse serves over 1,500 children annually and offers programs for a range of ages. The Carmel Valley Montessori School has space for up to 94 children with 80 currently enrolled. The San Diego Bulldogs Basketball program at Polster helps boys and girls play at multiple levels, from practice only to competitive teams that play in local and regional tournaments. The upper floor at Polster houses the Youth Arts Academy that focuses on music skills. Four instructors give lessons in voice, strings, drums, keyboard, wind instruments, guitar, and music theory. Students have formed several rock bands. Look for their upcoming “Commotion” fundraiser in 2024.