Published: July 06, 2009 09:58 am      

New concession stand ready to serve Boys & Girls Club’s needs

Lynn Edwards figures any way you look at it, 2,500 bottles of water is, well, lots of water.

That’s how many bottles the Boys and Girls Club of McAlester went through during the five weeks of baseball season that wrapped up last week, he said — and most of that was supplied through an old concession stand, far from much of the action on the field and the people in the bleachers.

That’s all changed now though, with the opening of the new concession stand built for the Boys & Girls Club through a Sertoma Club donation.

“It’s next to the Sertoma Baseball Field for 11 and 12-year-old boys,” or between the fences for the Sertoma and Smith fields, said Edwards, who is the director of the Boys & Girls Club of McAlester.

The new concession stand is approximately 18 by 24 feet, Edwards said.

Among the most important additions are two rest rooms, he said.

“It adds to the convenience,” said Edwards.

The building cost approximately $20,000. Including additions, Edwards figures the total cost of the project came to around $25,000.

Edwards said Pepsi Cola donated a soft-drink dispensing machine and the Boys & Girls Club purchased an ice machine for the new building.

Two volunteers, George Carmen and Udell Barnes, helped with the wiring, he said.

The new concession stand will mean a lot to the Boys & Girls Club — espcially with the clubs’ football and soccer seasons gearing up in August, said Edwards.

“On behalf of the board and staff, everyone appreciates the hard work and support of the Sertoma Club,” he said.

“It’s a small club with a big heart and a big appetite for giving to the kids. Their motto is appropriate: Service to Mankind.”