FOUNTAIN VALLEY : Official Honored for Aiding Youth Clubs

For seven years, City Councilman John Collins has volunteered his time to work as a bingo caller to help raise money for the local boys’ and girls’ clubs.

“Those are long hours, and it’s a tough way to raise money,” said Collins, who works bingo games every other Friday for four hours a night.

But Collins’ hard work for the past nine years as a volunteer for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Huntington Valley hasn’t gone without notice.

Collins, 49, was recently given the Eagle Award, the clubs’ top honor for volunteers.

“It represents an awful lot of hours put in on behalf of the club,” Collins said of the award.

Chris Schneider, the clubs’ executive director, said the award exemplifies volunteerism that soars “up and beyond” the normal expectations of a volunteer and reflects the many hours of support.

Schneider said Collins’ commitment to being a bingo caller was the clincher that earned him the award for 1992.

“That put John over the top in getting the award because of his continued commitment to our bingo games,” he said.

Schneider said the clubs in Fountain Valley and Huntington Beach have 115 volunteers whose efforts range from coaching to serving on the board of directors.

Janet Lacy, who has served seven years on the board, received the clubs’ Woman & Youth Award. The award is given to the most devoted board member.

Lacy, a Huntington Beach resident, said it was an honor to be the recipient and that her volunteer work is reward in itself.

Collins, a 19-year Fountain Valley resident, has also served on the clubs’ board and is currently a member of the advisory board of directors. He is also the business development chairman of the committee that is raising money to build a new Fountain Valley club at Mile Square Park.

An estimated $850,000 has been raised through cash donations and pledges toward the $1.6-million project, which is under construction, Schneider said.

Collins said he became involved in the clubs because of the opportunities provided to youth.

“I think there’s a need in the community to have a place for kids to go,” he said, adding that 80% of the clubs’ youths have working parents. “It provides a latchkey program and supervised, wholesome entertainment.”