Boys & Girls Clubs of Bend honor longtime resident Jim Crowell with inaugural Service to Youth Award

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Boys & Girls Clubs of Bend recently honored longtime Bend resident Jim Crowell for his decades of service and support with the organizaton's inaugural Service to Youth Award.

The award was presented at the clubs' annual meeting on February 24th. Future recipients will be awarded the Jim Crowell Service to Youth Award.  

Crowell, a resident of Bend for more than 80 years, was integral to the Boys & Girls Clubs moving into the space they have occupied since 1999.

Crowell saw a need and advocated on behalf of the Clubs to secure the historic building on Wall Street for their after and out of school programming services. Since then, Crowell has acted as a board member and now lifetime honorary trustee. 

CEO Michael Baker said, “It is safe to say that if it wasn’t for Jim and his efforts to raise the necessary dollars to renovate the facility we are in right now, the Boys & Girls Clubs wouldn’t have had this be our home for the last 30 years. He is as genuine as they come, and I am so grateful for all he does and continues to do for our organization.” 

Members of the Crowell family were in attendance as he was honored for his decades of support. 

Crowell’s son, Clark Crowell, said, "Central Oregon and its residents have played a pivotal role in my father’s life. He takes great pride in how the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Oregon serves the community, particularly because it occupies a space so vital to his own youth.

"The old Bend High gym was the town's gathering spot; knowing that children today are building their own futures where he once played basketball and attended dances makes the club’s mission deeply personal for him." 

Crowell has made an incredible mark on the Bend community and certainly the Boys & Girls Clubs of Bend.  

About Boys & Girls Clubs of Bend 

Boys & Girls Clubs of Bend provides youth opportunities for growth that inspire and empower them to reach their full potential in the classroom, at home, and in our community. Our after-school programs are designed to promote academic success, healthy lifestyles, and good character and citizenship.