The Boys and Girls Club of North Alabama, along with numerous other community members from the city and county, celebrated the grand opening of the new Athens Teen Center with a ribbon cutting ceremony Tuesday, Jan. 28.

Less than a year after the groundbreaking ceremony that took place in March 2024 — the $1.3 million, 3,300 square foot state-of-the-art facility is ready to serve the unique needs of local teenagers.

“This is a surreal moment for me,” Patrick Wynn, president of the Boys and Girls Club of North Alabama, told The News Courier following the ceremony and subsequent tour of the facility. “In 2021, when God first gave me the vision for this facility … it seemed impossible. But, I’ve learned that direction, not intention, allows you to reach your destination. God gave us the direction. He was able to see us through this and I couldn’t be more proud of how everything turned out.”

Located next door to the Boys and Girls Club of North Alabama in Athens, at 105 W. Washington St., the center and its staff are dedicated to providing a safe and supportive environment for academic growth, career preparation and social development for local youth to utilize in the after-school hours.

The center is a significant expansion to the organization’s current services. The facility is equipped to accommodate more than 100 teenagers, offering a wide variety of activities, such as specialized spaces for collaborative projects, gaming areas and quiet zones for studying or mentoring sessions.

“None of this would have been possible without the outpouring of support from the community,” Wynn said. “We had some important people come aboard, like Redstone Federal Credit Union, who made this dream possible. We’ve had so many champions who’ve helped us get here … none of this would have happened without them.”

During the ceremony, Wynn took the time to honor longtime supporter, volunteer and advocate of the Boys and Girls Club of North Alabama — Gerald “J.R.” Douthit. Wynn credited Douthit for keeping the club alive during some lean years, calling him “Mr. Boys and Girls Club.”

“This facility has been a long time coming,” Douthit said. “We bought this property a good while ago, not because we thought we needed it then, but here we are now and this club has grown so much. Juvenile crime is up, and it is everywhere. Parents need to know that there are places like this where we make sure their kids stay safe, and that they will be prepared for the future. There is no other nonprofit that puts in the hours and time that we do, and there’s no better board or staff in the state.”

After the ribbon cutting ceremony concluded, presented by the Athens-Limestone County Chamber of Commerce, community leaders, like Athens Mayor Ronnie Marks, took in the center which is designed to ensure that teenagers have the tools they need to thrive both in and out of school — preparing them for a successful future.