The Cawood Ledford Club

    In 2001, a group of concerned citizens- led by Tony & Tommie Saragas- joined together to form Harlan County Youth Sports, an organization devoted to providing positive sports leagues and activities to the children of Harlan County.  It didn't take long for this group to realize that the children of our area needed much more than sports.  They needed the opportunities that only a Boys & Girls Club could provide and in April 2003, the Harlan County Boys and Girls Club opened its first dedicated youth facility- The Cawood Ledford Boys & Girls Club- located at the former Loyall Elementary School.  In January 2005, the Club moved into a storefront facility in downtown Harlan and launched a massive capital campaign to raise funds to build a new facility. Led by architect Dwyne Wilkerson and trustees Rick Fox and Don Parsons, construction began on a new, permanent facility in June 2006.

    In August 2007, the newly constructed Cawood Ledford facility opened in the Fairview section of Harlan.  This new facility is tailor-made for our members and offers a large game room, an arts and crafts room, a technology lab, a fitness room, an education lab, kitchen and administrative offices. Over fifty children from both county and city schools take part in the life-changing programs offered in this new facility each day.

The Tri-City Club

    Also in 2001, a separate group of citizens on the opposite end of the county was also concerned with the lack of activities for children in Harlan County.  This group started the Tri-Cities Kid's Cafe program- an afterschool feeding and educational enrichment program.  Afterschool activities and a nutritious evening meal were provided to area children two evenings a week at St. Stephen's Fellowship Hall in Cumberland.  The program, directed by Kateena Haynes, garnered a great deal of community support and involvement and in August 2004 the Tri-City Boys & Girls Club Extension was officially chartered.  The Club was open three afternoons a week during the school year at St. Stephen's with activities provided by a host of community volunteers.

    In January 2008, a grant was awarded to turn the Tri-City Extension into a full-service Boys & Girls Club unit.  The response was overwhelming. So many children attend the Tri-City Club daily that Cumberland Elementary School had to schedule a second bus run to accomdate the need. The Tri-City Club is open 5 days a week throughout the school year.   Children at the Tri-City Club now have better access to the renowned programs of the Boys & Girls Club as well as five computer stations, a pool table, video games, and a large screen TV.  The Tri-City Club is located on Main Street in Cumberland.

The mission of the Harlan County Boys and Girls Club

is to combat the loss of hope experienced by many area youth by "Inspiring and enabling all young people, especially those from disadvantaged circumstances, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens." The Harlan County Club has been trying to do just that since opening its doors. We have served well over 3,000 children and currently have over 1000 members at both locations. The Club has been in existence for only a short time, but has received an overwhelming amount of support and encouragement from the community.