The Boys & Girls Club of McAllen has been limited in the activities they have been able to provide to club members due to the ongoing pandemic, but with more people getting vaccinated daily, it’s anticipating a slow return to normalcy for its members.
That first step was taken Thursday afternoon when the club held its first traditional holiday event since the pandemic began over a year ago.
The kids, who range in age from first through fifth grade, were visited by the Easter Bunny that day. They were given Easter eggs with little prizes inside, they were able to participate in an Easter egg hunt, they decorated cupcakes, and they did Easter-themed arts and crafts.
“It was our first event that felt like normal,” Dalinda Gonzalez-Alcantar, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of McAllen, said. “The kids were just outside; they were having a good time. They didn’t feel restricted. It just felt like Easter.”
Alcantar said that despite the festive environment, the kids still practiced COVID-19 safety protocols as they have for the past year.
“Even though they were still 6-feet apart when they were sitting at the tables eating the cupcakes and different things, you could just tell that they were really excited,” Alcantar said.
The children who participated in Thursday’s event were made up of children who have been attending virtual classes with the club on a daily basis and students from Castañeda Elementary, making up a group of approximately 90 children.
“It just felt like it used to because there were so many kids there,” Alcantar said. “I think everything that we’ve done since we’ve opened has been a privilege because we know that the kids — even in school — they have such limitations. They really don’t get to interact with each other. For some of them, this is still the only thing they do — go to the club.
“Being able to provide that in a setting that’s still a controlled environment and still have protocols in place, it’s so emotional. It hasn’t been lost on us.”
Mia Vazquez, a fifth grader, has been attending the club since she was 6-years-old, and she was able to participate in Thursday’s festivities. Her mother, Flor, said that the Boys & Girls Club has been like a family for her daughter.
“She had a wonderful time at the Boys & Girls Club,” Flor said. “It was very, very exciting for her. I really appreciate that they take the time to make the kids feel like everything’s going to be OK.”
Flor said that she feels it’s important for children to have some normalcy in their lives given the restrictions imparted due to the pandemic, and the club is able to provide that.
“They feel safe there,” Flor said. “They have all the precautions there — they’re washing their hands, the facemasks. They’re very careful about everything. She’s still enjoying her time at the Boys & Girls Club. I really feel very, very grateful for the Boys & Girls Club and all the things that they’ve done for our community.”
Alcantar said that Thursday’s event was the first step in slowly returning to a small semblance of normalcy.
She said that as more adults continue to get vaccinated, the more liberties it creates for the children at the club and more events, particularly this year’s summer camp.
“We are planning to have a summer camp, and in our summer camp we’re planning to do things a little bit differently because more people are getting vaccinated,” Alcantar said. “We feel like we’re going to be able to have more freedoms with the kids than we did last summer. I felt like the Easter egg hunt was a good indicator of what our kids can handle. They still knew to keep their masks on and sanitize their hands. They still knew that, and we didn’t have to remind them, but they still had a ton of fun.”
“For almost a year, they’ve just been sitting in front of a device,” she continued. “They haven’t seen their friends. I can’t imagine what that’s like for them, but to be able to do this for them and provide that is awesome.”
