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VIDEO: IBTTA Foundation Revisits Service Project at Boys & Girls Club in Cleveland … One Year Later
By Charles Cyrill, Public Information Officer
Aug 7, 2023, 08:27 AM
CLEVELAND – It has been one year since the volunteer
members of the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA)
Foundation built a new multipurpose basketball court and more at Boys &
Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio (BGCNEO) in Cleveland.
On June 26, 2022, more than 80 IBTTA member volunteers from
across the globe participated in the community service project, said Ferzan
Ahmed, executive director of the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission,
and an IBTTA board member.
“We wanted to come back one year later and see how the
members of the facility are enjoying the new playground,” Ahmed added.
The service project was held as part of an IBTTA conference
in Cleveland last year. The IBTTA Foundation has a long history of supporting
community-based organizations in cities that host its conferences.
“Having this court has created a degree of excitement for
the community. Parents and kids as they walk by see the court, they see young
people out, and want to engage in the program,” said Allen Smith, chief
executive officer of BGCNEO. “And as a result, we have increased the number of
kids that we serve at this location.”
The Boys & Girls Club on Broadway Avenue serves about
170 members between the ages of six and 18 per day. It is the largest of 48
clubs in Northeast Ohio.
“The volunteerism that happened on that day a year ago was
outstanding and we’re just so appreciative of that support,” Smith added.
IBTTA is the worldwide trade group for the owners and
operators of toll facilities and the businesses that serve them. Founded in
1932, IBTTA has members in more than 20 countries on six continents. The Ohio
Turnpike is an IBTTA member.