By NANCY WILSTACH / Community Columnist

The Boys and Girls Club of Central Alabama is revving up for a summer of fun, and University Baptist Church plans to help fund a happy summer for the kids.

Boys and Girls Club Director Freda Shivers said current after-school enrollees already have begun signing up for the summer all-day program.

Enrollment for new members, ages 6 and up, is slated to start April 17. Sign up before May 10 to get a $50 discount on the $435 cost. The fee includes 2017-18 registration, summer tuition and a club T-shirt.

There is a reduced fee for more than one child in a family, as well as a monthly payment plan.

The club benefits from UBC’s annual community yard sale, Shivers said, because the extra income allows the club to schedule more activities for the children.

The sale is from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 29, at the church at Shoshone and Overland roads. Cindy Holsombeck, coordinating the sale for UBC, said the $20 booth rental is dedicated to the Boys and Girls Club, while vendors keep their own proceeds.

“We need more people selling stuff to make this a big success for the kids,” Holsombeck said. She urged those in the Montevallo area to “get all that stuff you no longer want, outgrown clothes and toys, household items you don’t use, and turn it into a little extra pocket money.”

Each 10-by-10-foot spot is $20, Holsombeck said; vendors can rent as many spaces as they wish. Food vendors also will be on hand.

“We will have games, too—the basketball court and a space bounce,” said Holsombeck. Montevallo Parks and Recreation is working with UBC to recruit vendors and provide help needed for loading and unloading merchandise. The Montevallo Community Yard Sale is open to vendors such as Mary Kay cosmetics, athletic teams or Scout troops, she said. “We have had groups selling donated items to raise money for camps or uniforms.”

Shoppers can count on entertainment, too, Holsombeck said. “Last year the music included the Methodists’ Beatles cover band—the Beatniks.”

Anyone who wants to know if the Boys and Girls Club is a worthy cause can talk with some of those who know it best: the kids.

Will Durden, 10, finds a lot to like about the summer program. Dodgeball is one of his favorites. Durden gestured to a bookcase filled with games and children’s books.

“We keep our brains busy, too,” he said. “The Boys and Girls Club helps us be ready when school starts.”

Tyler Gentry, 11, will be in middle school next year. He looks forward to the summer program. Favorite activities? “Dodgeball, Four Square and basketball.”

Durden, a five-year Boys and Girls Club veteran, summed it up: “You meet people in Boys and Girls Club who will be your friends all your life.”

Contact point for summer program signup is: (205) 665-4466.

To reserve a spot at the yard sale: Call (205) 665-1825. Forms also are in Chamber Chatter.