Clubs
Bloomington-Normal Parks and Recreation Department Organizations
S.O.A.R. (Special Opportunities Available in Recreation) - A special community recreation program, jointly sponsored by both the Bloomington and Town of Normal Parks & Recreation Departments, lets people, young and old, with special needs to participate in different activities to help improve their leisure, social, and developmental skills. S.O.A.R. have different programs in different areas, like sports, special interests, special events, and cultural arts. People can participate in different programs to see their friends, make new friends, learn new skills, and have fun. If people want to participate in sports, they can register and participate in different sports in Special Olympics Illinois. Some of the sports S.O.A.R. participates in Special Olympics Illinois are basketball, bowling, softball, bocce, powerlifting, and athletics.
http://www.cityblm.org/parks/SOAR/general-info.htm
This link will take you to the City of Bloomington's Parks & Recreation's S.O.A.R. page. It will show you the general info of S.O.A.R., what S.O.A.R. does, their mission statement, and the goals S.O.A.R. does for people with special needs. If you scroll down the S.O.A.R. section at the general info page, it will take you to the pages of their services, their brochure for more info about S.O.A.R., and their forms for registration.
Boys and Girls Club
Boys & Girls Clubs of America had its beginnings in 1860 with three women in Hartford, Conn.: Mary Goodwin, Alice Goodwin and Elizabeth Hammersley. Believing that boys who roamed the streets should have a positive alternative, they organized the first Club. A cause was born. In 1990, the Club changed it's name to the Boys & Girls Club of America to recognize that girls were also a part of the cause.In February of 1992, the Boys & Girls Club of Bloomington-Normal was born. The first site of the Club was in the basement of the John Kane Homes community center. Within the year, the Club had outgrown that space, and they moved to the Lawrence Irvin Neighborhood Center. The Club is currently still housed at the Center. A lot of kids love to go to the boys and girls club because they get to meet new kids just like them around the same age group.
4-H Clubs
4-H is a worldwide youth organization dedicated to sculpting the leaders, scientists, artists, and workers of the future. In 4-H, kids and young adults are exposed to a plethora of opportunities. Meeting with state senators and congressmen, building a robot for a competition, speaking to hundreds of people, painting a masterpiece, showing livestock, and serving at a homeless shelter are all in a day's work for a 4-Her. In addition, you can win prestigious awards including the I Dare You award, the Legacy of Leadership scholarship, the State award, the 4-H Key award, and many others. (Some awards may vary by area. The awards listed are available in Mclean County)
In McLean County, the 4-H County Fair is also an important part of the 4-H experience. 4-Hers exhibit projects, run events, speak to audiences, show animals, and even lead tours or the fairgrounds.
4-Hers organized the 2014 Octoball Tournament. Image credit Kara Lopez
Anyone between the ages of 8 and 18 can become a 4-Her. If you are older than 18, you can still become an adult 4-H leader. To get involved in 4-H, you must first locate a 4-H club near you. Here is a link to help you find one. You can also contact your local extension office. The Mclean County Extension Office, which coordinates 4-H activities around Bloomington-Normal, is located at 402 North Hershey Road Bloomington, IL 61704.
Once you have located a club, you can attend a regularly scheduled club meeting and ask a 4-H leader how to get involved. 4-H clubs generally meet once every month, and the date of the next meeting can usually be found on the club's website.
4-H Clubs in the Bloomington-Normal Area
Homespun
This club is designed for homeschool students. We meet 1:00-3:00 every second Monday of the month at Grace Church (1311 W Hovey Ave, Normal, IL 61761). For the past five years, the McLean county 4-H Fair King, Queen, or both have been from this club. Contact current president Derek Lopez (Residing until October 1, 2016) at [email protected] or adult leader Terri Quinn at [email protected].
Linden Lead'em
Founded on April 30, 1928, this is one of the oldest clubs in the area. Despite its age, it is still going strong, and it is still a major contender for awards such as the $1000 Legacy of Leadership scholarship, which was awarded to eight Illinois 4-H members in 2015, one of them from Linden Lead'em.
Olympia Pacesetters
The Olympia Pacesetters 4-H Club is open for Cloverbuds ages 5-7 and youth ages 8-18. Email for more info at [email protected]. In 2008, the Olympia Pacesetters co-founded Helping Hands, a food pantry and clothing exchange. In 2015, they placed fifth in the "Fuel the Cause" contest and received a $5,000 grant.
Blazing Saddles
This group is mostly horse members but is open to anyone. There are people who show rabbits, cows, and other projects like cake decorating, welding, and crops. Blazing Saddles is a 4-H Club devoted to those who love horses or are completing Horse Projects.Here is our Facebook Page
Equis
This is another horse based 4-h group. Contact: Irene at 309-828-5397 or email [email protected]
