Boys and Girls Club Launches Islandwide "It Just Takes One" Campaign

The Boys and Girls Club of the Big Island announced Dec. 25, 2025 that it had launched its annual "It Just Takes One" fundraising campaign to support local youth programs heading into the new year. The club, which has served Hawaiʻi Island for more than 70 years, provides meals and daily nutritional support, shuttle transportation to after-school programs, academic and arts enrichment, leadership development, sports, and full-day care during school breaks. This article was updated Dec. 29.

The campaign arrives as nonprofits and local governments continue to navigate post-pandemic service demands and constrained budgets. For many families, the club functions as both a provider of basic needs and a place for after-school supervision and enrichment when public systems are stretched. Sustained private contributions will determine the club’s ability to maintain shuttle routes, nutritional services and expanded programming during school breaks.

The club also participated in the 2025 Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce Annual Toy Drive on Dec. 25, reinforcing its role in countywide partnerships that bolster seasonal relief and community cohesion. That engagement illustrates how the organization leverages collaboration with business and civic groups to extend support beyond its own membership.

Policy choices at the county and state levels affect the landscape within which the club operates. Local budget allocations for youth services, school-based after-school funding, and transportation planning shape demand for nonprofit intervention. Civic decisions by Big Island County Council and state representatives influence whether gaps are filled by publicly funded programs or by organizations that depend on annual fundraising campaigns like "It Just Takes One."

For residents who rely on or support the club, the campaign has direct implications: contributions determine program availability and capacity, and volunteer and civic engagement can influence service reach. Visit the club’s website for donations and program information.

The announcement underscores a broader civic question for Big Island County: how to balance public investment and community-driven support for youth services. As families plan for the year ahead, the outcomes of this campaign will signal both community generosity and the extent to which private philanthropy remains necessary to sustain essential services for local children and teens.