Ribbon cutting held for Campbell County Boys and Girls Club

By Charlotte Underwood

LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF)- A ribbon cutting was held at the Campbell County Boys and Girls Club on Thursday afternoon, celebrating the opening of the club and the local fundraising efforts it took to make the club a reality. Campbell County’s Club opened its doors on January 6 and has “seen tremendous success in its first months of operation,” according to organizers.

HERE is a related story about the opening day of the club in January, and HERE is the photo gallery from WLAF’s Charlie Hutson.

The ribbon cutting was hosted by the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley (BGCTNV) and served as the “formal celebration of the community-wide effort” it took to bring the local club to fruition.

Community leaders and individuals invested in the future of Campbell County’s youth turned out in number for the event, as did the kids who attend the club.

Chief Operating Officer Markus Jackson with TN valley Boys and Girls Club welcomed those in attendance. He gave a short history of the Boys and Girls Club and said that it had been around for over 125 years.

“The Boys and Girls Club is a safe place for kids to learn and grow, an opportunity for a good meal and it provides opportunities and programs based around academics and school tutoring. The club helps teach kids how to stay away from risky behaviors, it teaches them character and citizenship, and we do this with the hope that when they grow and get older, they will invest back in the club and continue to help the youth of the future. Our mission is to go where the kids are,” Jackson said.

He also said he had been with the Boys and Girls Club for several decades and that this event held a special place in his heart because this “has been in the making for years.”

“This is about Campbell County and you all making this happen.  You have some good board members in this community that made this happen and some great support from the community.”

General Sessions Judge and President of the Boys and Girls Club of Campbell County Advisory Committee Bill Jones said, “the opening of this club has absolutely been a dream come true.”

“Holding the door open for the children as they got off the bus and ran inside on our opening day was one of the best moments of my life,” Jones said, adding that “the support received across the board has been humbling.”

“Our community came together to make this happen. It’s been so uplifting to see something positive – something I know will have a huge positive impact on the lives of these children,” Jones said.

He thanked everyone for their support in bringing the club to life.

“I’m grateful to all the people in Campbell County who donated money and time to make this happen.  I’m grateful to ORNL, I’m grateful to the advisory board, and I’m grateful to the TN Valley Boys and Girls Club, they took us in and treated us like family and made sure we didn’t fail. I am grateful to our club’s director Jorden Goins and staff and the wonderful work they put in with these kids. I’m grateful for these kids, they are the reason we are here,” Jones said.

“The establishment of the Campbell County Club was made possible through the collective spirit of the region, including a significant contribution from ORNL Federal Credit Union. Their “instrumental support helped bridge the gap to make the Club a reality for local families” according to organizers.

“We have to have community partners to make it work and we had the pleasure of ORNL stepping up to that plate,” Jackson said.

President and CEO of ORNL Federal Credit Union Jenny Vipperman spoke.

“It was our pleasure and our honor to be a part of this. We know that healthy children make healthy communities and we are proud to be a part of that.”

Campbell County Boys and Girls Club Director Jorden Goins spoke briefly as well.

“These kids have looked forward to this day, they have put so much work into this, made welcome cards, planted flowers outside and done so much to get ready for this ribbon cutting,” Goins said.

She described some of the activities that take place at the club.

“We do homework help every day … I am passionate about that as a mom. We also do a lot of art stuff and a lot of physical activities…we are here for more than just the daily things. Because of everyone in this room we have been able to operate at no cost to families,” Goins said. She also shared that the club was getting ready to launch field trips.

Board member John Snodderly and his team from the LaFollette Housing Authority were recognized for “the way they have worked tirelessly.”

Snodderly said this was “just the beginning” and that there was more to come in the future for the Campbell County Boys and Girls Club.

Boys & Girls Club of Campbell County is part of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley family.

The organization provides a safe, caring environment for Club members during the summer and after school and offers more than 35 fun and educational programs covering a range of topics, including STEM, the Arts, Health & Wellness, Fitness Programs & Team Sports, and Summer Learning Loss Prevention. Serving more than 8,400youth annually, BGCTNV is made up of 27 Clubs in Blount, Campbell, Loudon, Anderson, Claiborne, and Knox Counties. For more information, visit here.

The Campbell County Club’s facility is located in the Dewey Hunter Center at 711 South 4th Street, LaFollette. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-04/17/2026-6AM-PHOTOS COURTESY OF WLAF’S CHARLIE HUTSON)