Wakeman BGC Celebrates Milestone
Building Great Futures
for
Over
110 Years
On Christmas Day in 1913 the best gift ever given to tens of thousands of children was "unwrapped" when the Wakeman Boys Club opened on Harbor Road in Southport. The opening of the Club was made possible thanks to the generosity of Frances and Cornelia Wakeman Crapo, whose charitable donation established the Club in honor of their grandfather, Jessup Wakeman.
In 1954, having outgrown the original clubhouse, Wakeman Boys Club moved to Center Street in Southport and grew to host more than 300 members. Under the direction of Edward "Red” Baker who took over the reins in 1945, Wakeman became the place to play baseball, football, and basketball.
The impact that Red had on generations of young people was legendary. Alumni still tell stories of piling into Red’s station wagon and driving to other Boys Clubs around the state to play games against anyone who would accept the Wakeman challenge! Boxing, photography, pool, ping pong and skittle bowl were also very popular with the members. Red and his staff-- including Joe Skubas and Art Donnelly--fostered a "home away from home” atmosphere but tolerated no nonsense from members. To own a Wakeman membership card was a privilege, not a birthright!
Membership of the Club continued to grow through the years...
While girls had always been welcome at Wakeman, the word "girls” was officially added to the Club’s name in 1983.
In the late 1980’s with current Executive Director Dave Blagys at the helm, membership approached 1,000 boys and girls.
In 1992, a capital campaign led to an expansion project to add the Warren Gym and some other improved program space.
Membership grew steadily and in 2005, a second capital campaign added a computer center, art studio, weight room, turf field, lobby and parking lot. Membership had climbed to 3,000 boys and girls!
The staff, Board of Directors, and Trustees then focused on serving youth in other sections of Fairfield, and the Stratfield Clubhouse opened in 2003 at Owen Fish Park before moving to the First Presbyterian Church. The Stratfield Clubhouse provided children in grades 3-8 with much of the same enriching programming available at the Southport Clubhouse. The Stratfield Clubhouse closed in June 2014 to maximize Wakeman BGC's positive impact on area youth through the organization's own facilities.
From the success of the Stratfield Clubhouse came an initiative at McKinley Elementary School in Fairfield. Since its inception in 2005, this award winning program has grown from after-school enrichment programming and mentoring by teen volunteers to the school's sole provider of Before & After School Care. In 2018, a Mentoring Program based on the successful McKinley model was implemented at Holland Hill Elementary School in Fairfield.
As Wakeman Boys & Girls Club grew its footprint to serve all areas of the town of Fairfield, the Board and Staff made a commitment to bring the Club's safe spaces and enriching programs to the neighboring city of Bridgeport. In June 2011, the Smilow-Burroughs Clubhouse on Fairfield Avenue opened its doors to the youth of the West End and Black Rock sections of the city. The building was made possible thanks to the efforts of a dedicated campaign committee and generous donors who contributed $7M to make the project a reality.
Eager to replicate the success of Smilow-Burroughs Clubhouse, the City of Bridgeport approached Wakeman Boys & Girls Club in 2016 to establish a partnership to replace the condemned North End Boys & Girls Club facility on Madison Avenue. After 7 years of diligent work alongside city and state officials and the generosity of many funders, the brand-new, two-story Madison Avenue Community Clubhouse opened in September 2023. With dedicated space to provide WBGC programming focused on academic support, workforce readiness, and health & wellness, the latest addition to the organization is now serving the youth in the North End and Hollow neighborhoods of Bridgeport.
To guide and inspire young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, and responsible people.
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