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Participant To Director

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By GEOFF FOX

gfox@tampatrib.com

Published: February 4, 2009

NEW PORT RICHEY - Chris Letsos was 16 when his family moved from Long Island, N.Y., to New Port Richey.

To say he experienced culture shock would be to downplay an experience that left the self-described former bookworm feeling lonely and out-of-place. Happily for Letsos, he soon found the Boys & Girls Club on Youth Lane, near Little and Ridge roads.

He's never really left.

"This was the first place I went after school," said Letsos, now 30. "Back then, Pasco County wasn't what it is today. And it was a big change from Long Island. Through the Boys & Girls Cub, I had an opportunity to experience things as a leader. I led basketball and football teams.

"Plus, my brother worked here, my father helped paint the place and my mom cooked for everybody. It was a family affair."

He wants it to be that way again.

In the mid-1990s, Letsos was usually one of about 150 kids at the club. It now serves about 50 children a day through its youth center for children in elementary school and teen center, for kids in middle and high school.

The club had such a positive affect on Letsos that he volunteered there throughout college and has worked for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay for two years.

Letsos was recently named executive director of Pasco County's clubs, which includes locations in Shady Hills and Lacoochee. The position was created for Letsos, a graduate of the University of Florida and Florida State University, who also will maintain his position as director of grants and programs for all 21 Tampa Bay facilities.

"He grew up in Pasco and has a lot of close relationships with key individuals and leaders in that area," said Lisa Richardson, vice president of development for the Boys & Girls Club of Tampa Bay. "The goal is to help facilitate community support for those clubs.

"We're also hoping to increase contributions and support from the communities, and also keep communities informed of club activities."

On a recent afternoon, Letsos waited outside the New Port Richey club to greet a handful of students dropped off by a school bus.

While he is executive director of each of Pasco's Boys & Girls Clubs, it is the youth and teen centers in New Port Richey that will get much of his immediate attention. He wants to establish a board of directors for the Youth Lane operations, and attract donations for scholarships and items such as computers.

Those who view Boys & Girls Clubs as little more than a place for children to play pool after school might be surprised by the clubs' mission.

"We're here after school, so kids have someplace safe to be," Letsos said. "It's part of helping families stay gainfully employed and keeping kids involved in something positive. We promote healthy lifestyles, character and leadership development, and we have academic sources - people who can help kids with their homework.

"It's needs-based programming. We see what they need, and we offer it. We also have diversity training. We teach them to say no to alcohol, drugs and premarital sex."

Shaped like an octagon, the teen center on Youth Lane is where the club holds regular dances, including an event just before Valentine's Day. There also is a computer lab with several computers, but Letsos envisions as many as 20 filling the room.

"That's one way people can donate," Letsos said.

With the computers, youths are taught to conduct PowerPoint presentations, create documents, design T-shirts and other things.

The New Port Richey location also has art rooms, game rooms, outdoor basketball courts and a stage; the club recently landed a grant to establish a drama program.

The club doesn't serve as many youths, but its mission is no different than when Letsos first walked through the doors 14 years ago.

Megan Troutwine, a senior at Ridgewood High School, has competed on the club's track, cross country and weightlifting teams for several years. She is usually at the teen center five days a week.

"I like to hang out and help people with homework," she said. "I like to help people if they have a problem. I've been coming here about five years. My friend told me it was a really cool place."

Letsos said that the club worked for him, and countless other children, because staff get to know the needs and aspirations of each child "and what's missing in their lives."

It was just the thing for a 16-year-old kid from Long Island with a bad case of culture shock.

"This club, I lived here," he said. "I just want to be able to give back.

"This place helped guide me."

GIVING BACK

For information about volunteering with, or donating to, Boys & Girls Clubs, call Chris Letsos at (813) 494-0665 or (727) 842-5673, or e-mail him at cletsos@bgctampa.org. Information about the Boys & Girls Club also can be found at www.bgctampa.org.

Reporter Geoff Fox can be reached at (813) 779-4613.

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