[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 31 (Tuesday, February 28, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E261]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          HONORING NEIGHBORHOOD BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF CHICAGO

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MIKE QUIGLEY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 28, 2012

  Mr. QUIGLEY. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise today to 
commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Neighborhood Boys and Girls 
Club of Chicago, a local organization that promotes leadership and 
scholarship for boys and girls between the ages of 6 and 18.
  In the autumn of 1931, Robert Buehler and Richard Valentin had their 
very first event, a football game involving local children that ended 
in a 13 13 tie. While watching the game, the spirit and teamwork of the 
participants showed the two founders that this organization could be a 
positive force for change. Since then, the club has been a staple of 
the Homer Park neighborhood. It currently serves over 1200 children 
each year, building character, cultivating leadership and encouraging 
teamwork.
  The NBGC mainly achieves these goals through sports, academics and 
art. Within the floor hockey, basketball, baseball, volleyball and 
other sports programs, every child plays in every game, enjoying a 
positive and encouraging atmosphere and learning to provide the same 
for their teammates.
  Additionally, the NBGC has fostered an extensive volunteer and parent 
network. The coaches, teachers and mentors provide the club with the 
engine to power the vehicle of growth and learning that children in the 
area have enjoyed for generations. They have led by example that it 
truly takes a village to raise a child.
  Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to congratulate the 
Neighborhood Boys and Girls Club for 80 years of nurturing strong 
values in Chicago's youth, as well as developing a strong community 
throughout the area. I wish them even greater success in the years to 
come.

                          ____________________