News

On February 19th, the Nantucket Boys & Girls Club gathered supporters in Palm Beach for an intimate reception at LoLa 41, generously hosted by Trustee Mark Daley. More than 70 guests were invited to join trustees and Club leadership for the evening. While the setting was Florida, everyone in the room shared a connection to Nantucket. For some, the Club has been part of their lives for years. For others, the reception served as a first time introduction to the work happening every day at 61 Sparks Ave. Board Chair Bess Clarke opened the evening by sharing her personal connection to the organization as a former Club kid. She reflected on what the Club meant to her growing up on Nantucket and why she remains deeply committed to ensuring its strength for future generations. Her journey from Club member to Board Chair speaks for itself. CEO Jamie Foster followed with remarks about the Club’s growing reach and the responsibility of expanding opportunity for young people on Nantucket. He spoke about the role the Club plays in providing stability and exposure to new possibilities for more than 1,300 children each year. Guests were also among the first to hear about several key priorities guiding the organization’s next phase of growth, including investments in infrastructure and long term stability that will ensure the Club can continue serving Nantucket families for decades to come. The evening was thoughtfully designed to reflect the Club’s Nantucket roots. Guests were welcomed with curated materials about the Club’s impact and received gift bags featuring Nantucket Looms soap along with custom Nantucket Boys & Girls Club hats embroidered with “Palm Beach” on the back. The Palm Beach reception reflects a broader effort to stay connected with Nantucket supporters wherever they spend their time throughout the year. As island families and friends gather beyond Nantucket, so too does the community that supports the Club and its mission. We are grateful to Mark Daley for his hospitality and to everyone who joined us for a meaningful evening of connection and conversation.

Snow days may have pushed the calendar around a bit, but that certainly did not slow down our Club Jr. preschool students from celebrating their 100th day of school. Dressed in hair rollers, cat-eye glasses, and greying mustaches, our preschool kids spent the day imagining what their future will look like when they’re 100 years old. Our car aficionado, Lucas, says that he sees a Lamborghini in his future, while Alaina looks forward to finally being tall. Damien looks forward to having a lamp and a bed in the tent that he’ll live with. Now we know who to get in touch with if the world goes off-grid. 

For most twelve year olds, a birthday party means cake, gifts, and being the center of attention for a day. For Stella Davis, her birthday was an opportunity to give back. On January 18th, Stella celebrated her birthday at the Nantucket Boys & Girls Club with family, friends, and teammates by her side. As she marked her final year as a tween, Stella chose to celebrate in a way that felt both meaningful and unmistakably her. Instead of asking for presents, she invited her guests to make a donation to the Club. Together, attendees contributed over $350 to support the programs and spaces that have become such an important part of her world. Stella is a sixth grader who feels right at home at the Club. You can often find her on the basketball court as part of the Poet’s Corner D1 Girls Basketball Team, where her energy and focus are hard to miss. Choosing to celebrate her birthday by supporting the Nantucket Boys & Girls Club reflects a generosity and thoughtfulness well beyond Stella’s years. While many kids her age are focused on parties and presents, Stella was thinking about a place that has given her community, confidence, and space to grow. It is a grown up choice, made by someone still very much enjoying being a kid. And of course, Stella still has her tween priorities. When she is not on the court or at the Club, you can find her reading her way through The Summer I Turned Pretty series. She is patiently finishing the books before watching the show, by choice. The Club is grateful to Stella and her friends for turning a birthday celebration into a meaningful act of giving. Her story is a reminder that kindness and community mindedness can start early, and that sometimes the coolest thing you can do is think of others first.

The fifty first Annual Nantucket Christmas Stroll brought excitement to Main Street and the Nantucket Boys & Girls Club was proud to be part of the festivities. From holiday music to community gatherings to joyful performances, our kids and staff helped make the weekend shine. At 11am, eight Club carolers gathered at the top of Main Street to share holiday songs with the crowd. Their set included favorites like the Twelve Days of Christmas and brought smiles to everyone passing by. The performance was made possible through our partnership with the Nantucket Community Music Center , which supports our young musicians throughout the year. Kezia Duarte played keys and led the group alongside Ashly Akins , guiding our young singers with clear direction and encouragement. 

On November 19th, 2025 the Nantucket Boys & Girls Club marked its eightieth birthday . To celebrate the impressive milestone, staff decorated the front entrance of the building with balloons and a birthday banner, which caught the attention of all 352 members that attended the Club that afternoon. Once members filed into the building, they came together with their respective cohorts and were given party crowns to decorate with jewels, stickers and rhinestones to add even more of shine and sparkle to what was already a very special day. The kids wore their crowns for the rest of the day and celebrated like the true royalty that they are. Earlier in the week the Club also went on air with our eightieth anniversary radio spot on ACK FM 97.7 and Quahog Country 89.5 FM . Several of our members helped record it and the spot will continue running through next month. The week wrapped up on Friday, November 21st with the first Family Fun Night of the school year. Families brought dishes to share and filled the canteen with everything from homemade meals to takeout favorites. NBGC's own Junior Chefs also contributed by making their own mac and cheese and a chicken caesar salad the day before, which was served along with the potluck. After everyone ate, the gym opened for adult versus kids dodgeball which was exactly as chaotic and entertaining as it sounds. The night ended with a special eightieth birthday cake by ACK Pastry for everyone to enjoy. The anniversary was a simple way to recognize how far the Club has come while staying focused on what matters most. Kids showed up. Families showed up. The Club did what it has done for eight decades: it created a place where people want to be. Thank you to our families staff and supporters for being part of this moment and for everything you bring to the Nantucket Boys & Girls Club. It has been our honor to serve you for eighty years. We look forward to the next eighty and beyond.