WO youth club to be named for Junes

The West Orange branch of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida has been providing activities and guidance for youth in West Orange County since 1999 at the West Orange Recreation Center on West Crown Point Road in Winter Garden. Before then, it operated out of the Mildred Dixon Activity Center next door.

The local club serves about 40 students daily — but Mack Reid, chief operations officer for BGCCF and its 41 sites, knows West Orange has the potential to help many more students reach their potential.

“That’s what’s driven the need to have the space to serve more kids,” Reid said.

A new and larger facility is in the works on Ninth Street in east Winter Garden, and officials expect to break ground this fall on land donated by the city of Winter Garden. In partnership with the city, the new club will offer 20,000 square feet of programming space and serve up to 220 children daily.

When completed sometime in fall 2025, the space will be known as the June Family Club, named in honor of community supporters Randy and Jamie June, who have long committed their time and resources to Boys & Girls Clubs.

“Randy and Jamie June are some of the kindest individuals I have ever met, and this has been their dream to have a large club in Winter Garden serving the kids and families in Winter Garden,” said Jamie Merrill, president and CEO of BGCCF. “This plan and the conversations about this club in Winter Garden started about 10 years ago, and he has been so diligent about meeting with city officials, donors, our club staff, anybody that would be able to continue moving this project forward.”

“They’ve always supported the club in Winter Garden,” Reid said. “They work hard behind the scenes. If we have any needs or family needs, they’re always there to connect us to the right resources in the community. They were the ones that had the vision in the beginning (that) we could do more for the kids if we had more facilities.

“Randy has been the main driver, making sure the dream didn’t die and pushing the project forward, getting the right people involved,” Reid said. “We wouldn’t be in the position to get this dream started if it wasn’t for Randy and Jamie.”

It was an organizational decision to recognize the Junes for their many years of dedicated determination and steadfast vision they had, he said.

“They have donated a significant amount of time and funds to this mission … over the years, and we wanted to honor their legacy as they have continued to honor ours,” Merrill said.

“We thought it was totally appropriate to name the facility after them,” Reid said. “Because if it wasn’t for the Junes, we wouldn’t be able to have the state-of the-art facility for the kids of Winter Garden.”

Reid knows the power of Boys & Girls Clubs — he attended as a child, and his father operated several branches. He actually is a third-generational professional for the organization, having started in 1999 when he was a senior at the University of Central Florida.

“Boys & Girls Clubs have always been part of my life, and it’s been a blessing,” he said.

Randy June also understands the importance of the club, as he played football as a child with the club in Pine Hills, and he has served on the board of the Central Florida organization.

He said he and his wife, Jamie, feel honored to be recognized but have mixed emotions about having their name on something this big, preferring to operate under the radar. They are happy to see the project moving forward.

“They do such a fantastic job,” Randy June said of the West Orange branch. “Boys & Girls Clubs’ guidance has been tremendous. They just need a facility to house everybody.”

JUNE FAMILY CLUB

Sitework is expected to begin in September, and the new clubhouse should be completed in about a year. The 20,000-square-foot facility will have two spaces — 10,000 square feet each for the elementary-age youth and teen members. There will be two separate entrances, but the two sides will connect.

Reid is excited about the amenities and programs that will be offered.

The youth side will have a health and life sciences center, a technology center with computer labs, STEM and robotics offerings, and a quiet zen den.

The teen side — to be called the Winter Garden Teen Center — will have similar amenities, with the addition of a dance studio, music studio, and college and career resource center.

When the facility is completed, BGCCF will vacate the Orlando Magic Gym, located inside the West Orange Recreation Center. The new building will not have a gymnasium, but Reid said a gym or basketball court could be added in a third phase of construction.

“In the meantime, we know that if we wanted to take the kids back over to the gym, we could coordinate access to that,” Reid said.

Much fundraising quietly has been taking place in recent years. In addition to the land, the city pledged $1.6 million. June said other big donors include the Dr. Phillips Foundation, Bond Foundation, West Orange Healthcare District, Orange County, West Orange Junior Service League, Petro Family Foundation, Arthur C. Anderson Charitable Foundation and former Major League Baseball player Johnny Damon.

“We have to raise another couple million dollars to create not only the capital plan to build it but the funds to operate it long-term,” June said.

He plans to bring back a golf tournament he held for 15 years, and once the facility is completed, a fundraising breakfast will be planned.

“We’re still in need of support,” Reid said. “We need to raise more awareness, raise more dollars so we can ensure the building is there for many years for the future kids of Winter Garden. We’re always looking for ways to introduce individuals to our organization, and we have opportunities available to support the project.

“We need further donations for the building, but we also need volunteers either serving onboard or actually coming in and working with the kids once the building is open and operating,” he said.

To make a monetary donation, visit bgccf.org and specify the June Family Branch.