In 2006, the Boys & Girls Club of the Hi–Line saw a tremendous spike in attendance. "We had been seeing slow but steady growth for the first few years," said Club Director Tim Brurud. "Then suddenly it spiked, and we were seeing over 200 kids a day. A few times it was up to 250 kids a day. That′s more than we can safely accommodate with our current space and staff.

" A membership cap was put in place that kept the average daily attendance just under 200. But that meant that once the attendance goal was reached (often within a few weeks of fall enrollment) the Club had to turn kids away. "It happens almost every day," said Tim. "It′s very hard for us to say no. There are a lot of kids out there who need the services we provide."

The building expansion includes a multi–purpose room that can be sectioned off and used for additional programming space. This will allow the Club to serve 25% more kids. The plans also include a full-service kitchen, which will greatly enhance the Club′s food program. Currently snack, dinner, and summer lunch are served without an oven, stovetop, or dishwasher!