Our Views: Van Burkleo gets honor

We congratulate Pat Van Burkleo on being named National Executive of the Year by Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

Van Burkleo has headed the Boys & Girls Club of Baton Rouge since 1990. His leadership has been an inspiration to many residents of our community. We are heartened that through his recent award, Van Burkleo’s example is getting a national profile.

When Van Burkleo was appointed to lead the local organization in 1990, the nonprofit agency was $40,000 in debt. Today, the Boys & Girls Club of Baton Rouge has a budget of more than $ 1.6 million and provides after-school programs at 11 Baton Rouge schools. The children served by Boys & Girls Club are at-risk youth, and the organization has been successful in helping these youngsters to improve academically and socially. The local Boys & Girls Club also offers a six-week summer reading program that helps participants boost their literacy skills.

The youngsters who participate in the Boys & Girls Club’s after-school programs tend to do better in school, and that’s an important benefit in advancing the futures of these children.

We salute Van Burkleo on his leadership. We hope his national honor will inspire more people to get involved in helping the Boys & Girls Club of Baton Rouge. More information about the organization is available at http://www.brclubs.org or [phone].