Former Club Kid- Jyn Raskiewicz

The Black Canyon Boys & Girls Club Celebrates 20 Years

Former Club Kid

The Black Canyon Boys & Girls Club (BCBGC) became the big 2-0 in 2019. To celebrate this momentous occasion, the Club has partnered with the Montrose Daily Press on a special project; to bring to the readers of the Press an article each week to highlight various aspects of the Club and show the impact it has had in Montrose & Olathe. The readers will get insight from current parents, former Club kids, current Club kids, past Club staff, and more. So join us each week as we show why “Great Futures Start Here!”

For this week’s article I reached out to another former Black Canyon Boys & Girls Club (BCBGC) member to highlight her time at the Club and how it impacted her future. 

Jyn Raskiewicz started her tenure at the BCBGC in the winter of 1999. She, a 6th grader, along with her elementary school brother both attended the Club after they moved to Montrose from the Grand Junction/Clifton area. At that time, the Club was housed in the cafeteria at the old Columbine Middle School. When asked what her fondest memories were of her time at Club, she stated: “Gosh, there are so many! From the opportunity to go to summer camps, leading Torch Club meetings, teaching the younger girls how to sew, playing yu-gi-og, helping kids with homework, helping teach the younger members basic cooking skills, meeting other Club members, and even having the opportunity to compete for Volunteer of the Year!” She also noted her time at the Club helped to build her confidence; to be who she wanted to be and have the courage to do what she wanted to do in life and develop into a leader. Although Jyn has since moved out of the area, now living in Corpus Christi, Texas, her passion for cooking, which she helped the younger BCBGC kids learn bout all those years ago, has not ceased. She has had several successful busineses including an Italian restaurant delivery service as well as teaching kids cooking shows and is developing a cookbook. She has also started a family and is excited to have kids in the future. If given the opportunity, she did note when she has kids, she would love to be able to send them to a Boys & Girls Club so they can experience all the fun and learning she did. When asked if she had any advice for the BCBGC kids of the future she had several great pieces of wisdom: “Be yourself, stand out from the rest, reach for the stars, be the type of leader you would want to follow. The world will wait for you to grow up so enjoy being a kid while you can”. 

Jyn was a Club kid the same time I was and humbled me a bit in this interview by noting her pride in me that I was working to continue the BCBGC legacy into the future. Thank you Jyn for your insight and thoughts on Club and for letting me interview you!

On a final parting note, the BCBGC is doing a donor drive starting from November 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019. Anyone who becomes a monthly donor, for any monthly amount, during that time will be entered into a drawing to win two VIP tickets to the Montrose Wine & Food Festival (valued at $200). The winner will be chosen and announced on March 1, 2020 (existing monthly donors will be automatically entered to win). As an added bonus, any amount you donate to the BCBGC will be eligible to get 50% back of that donation on your Colorado state income tax as part of the child care tax credit. You can sign up to become a monthly donor today at https://bcbgc2.ddock.gives/. For more information on the Montrose Wine & Food Festival, please visit www.montrosewinefestival.com.

Bud Taylor is the Executive Director for the Black Canyon Boys & Girls Club (BCBGC) and had been for the past two years. Prior to that, he was a BCBGC kid, junior staff member, and board director. Feel free to contact Bud Taylor by e-mail at btaylor@bcbgc.org or visit the Club’s website for more information, www.bcbgc.org.