The RAO Foundation Makes Lead Gift for Site Development and Issues Community Challenge
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County (BGCGTC) announced that it has officially completed the purchase of the site for the first brick-and-mortar Boys & Girls Club in the city of Lewisville. The new Club will be located at 195 W. Corporate Drive, in an 8,000-square-foot former fire station generously gifted to the organization by the city of Lewisville. The new location will serve as a year-round home for high-quality youth development programs, bringing much-needed resources, mentors, and opportunities to one of the fastest-growing counties in the United States.
“This is a major step forward for Lewisville families,” said Daphne Barlow, CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County. “For years, we have served Denton County through mobile and school-based programs. Having a permanent Club location means we can provide stability, consistency, and long-term support that kids and families can count on every single day.”
The RAO Foundation has stepped forward with a $1 million lead gift for the site’s development and is challenging the entire community to match that funding — so that the first Boys & Girls Club in Lewisville can open its doors by August 2026 for the young people who need it most. That gift will support renovations, furnishings, safety upgrades, and programming infrastructure needed to open the building as a fully operational Club.
“This is an extraordinary act of generosity,” Barlow said. “The RAO Foundation’s investment reflects a deep belief in what young people are capable of, and they are inviting the community to stand with them — so kids in Lewisville will have the same opportunities that kids in other counties have benefited from for decades.” Barlow emphasized that the new Club will give the community safe and affordable childcare offerings, as well as a comprehensive youth development organization focused on long-term outcomes.
The Lewisville Club will deliver academic support, programming to support healthy choices, daily meals, and strong mentorship, along with enrichment in arts, sports, technology, and workforce readiness. Robust summer programs will ensure youth stay safe, fed, and learning year-round. “For so many kids, the Boys & Girls Club is a place where they are encouraged, challenged, and believed in,” Barlow said. “It’s more than a safe space; it’s where outcomes change. When young people have access to academic support, mentors who know their name, and meals they can rely on, their whole trajectory shifts.”
BGCGTC projects that the Lewisville Club, in addition to the organization’s existing mobile operation in Denton County, could serve 6,000 youth annually. “We are deeply grateful to the city of Lewisville for understanding the importance of this work,” Barlow said. “Their leadership and willingness to repurpose this building means we can immediately focus on serving young people. This partnership reflects a community that believes in its kids.”
Barlow added the city of Lewisville’s decision to gift the fire station made the project possible, channeling funds to the land purchase and accelerating the timeline for opening a Club in Denton County. According to the latest U.S. Census, 1 in 17 children in Denton County lives in poverty, and as of 2024, nearly 29% of public-school students in Denton County qualify for free lunch under the National School Lunch Program.
City leadership noted the building’s ideal location. In proximity to Lewisville High School, three elementary schools, one middle school, and surrounding family neighborhoods, the Club will be positioned at the heart of where youth already live and learn.
With the site purchase complete, BGCGTC has begun design planning, renovation preparation, and community fundraising to meet the Foundation’s challenge.
BGCGTC invites the community to support the organization at its groundbreaking event 9 a.m. Friday, April 24, at 195 W. Corporate Drive, Lewisville, TX 75067.
“This is the community’s Club,” Barlow said. “Every contribution, large or small, helps open the door wider for the next generation. Together, we can ensure that young people in Lewisville have every opportunity to succeed.” To support the Lewisville Club project, visit the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County’s giving webpage.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County Founded in 1926, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County is the oldest and largest Boys & Girls Club organization in Texas, serving youth ages 6 to 18 across Tarrant, Denton and Hill counties. Operating 26 locations, BGCGTC provides high-impact programs in academics, leadership, workforce readiness, college access, gang intervention, music and arts, and alcohol and drug prevention. Last year, BGCGTC served more than 88,000 young people. Its mission is to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.
