There is a lot that has to happen before a Club Kid walks through the doors of the Boys & Girls Club of Henderson County.

A school day has to end. A bus has to arrive. A driver has to safely navigate the route. A Club staff member has to make sure the right young person gets on the right vehicle. And, eventually, that vehicle pulls into the Club parking lot, where an afternoon of learning, connection and opportunity begins.

For more than 200 Club Kids each day, that journey starts with Club transportation.

And when you look at how much that transportation operation has grown in just a year and a half, it tells a bigger story about the growth of the Club itself.

In March 2025, the Club operated three buses and three vans, serving routes that included Etowah, Mills River and Rugby, with Sugarloaf becoming a new pickup location.

Today, the Club’s transportation fleet has grown to six vans, two minibuses and three buses, with a fourth bus coming soon. The Club now serves 14 schools and transports approximately 210 members each day.

“The newest additions have been to accommodate our growth,” said Travis Hayes, Director of Club Services & Data.

That growth is perhaps most visible in the Club’s record-breaking attendance. This summer, 501 Club Kids attended the Club in a single day, a milestone that represents more than a number. It reflects a growing need for the programs, relationships and opportunities the Club provides.

But serving 500 young people in a day requires more than adding space and programs. It requires building the infrastructure to get them there.

More Kids. More Routes. More Responsibility.

Transportation is one of the largest behind-the-scenes operations at the Club. The investment includes fuel, insurance, vehicle maintenance, training and the staff needed to safely transport hundreds of young people each afternoon.

Today, 25 staff members are covered by the Club’s transportation insurance, helping support the operation that keeps members moving safely between school and the Club.

Safety is at the center of that operation. Club buses have cameras and a second rider, while vans are also equipped with cameras. Staff use mobile devices to check members in when they are picked up, giving the Club an immediate view of which drivers and members are on each vehicle.

“We are easily able to see drivers and members are on each vehicle immediately upon pick up for extra safety measures,” Travis said.

The Club’s transportation program also plays an important role beyond the Club’s own walls.

By providing transportation from local schools to the Club, the program helps relieve pressure on both parents and Henderson County Public Schools. Schools including Sugarloaf, Hillandale and Bruce Drysdale are among those most impacted by the need for after-school transportation.

“I feel strongly that without our support in transportation, HCPS would be immensely strained on their ability to provide after school transportation,” Travis said.

For parents, Club transportation means one less challenge to navigate at the end of the school day. For HCPS, it means the Club is helping meet the transportation needs of hundreds of students. And for Club Kids, it means a reliable connection between their school and a place where they can spend their afternoons learning, growing and having fun.

Growing With Our Club Kids

That growth has also been made possible through generous community investment.

The James H. Cummings Foundation recently provided funding that helped the Club obtain and wrap two new minibuses, expanding the fleet to meet the needs of a growing membership. Another organization, United Federal Credit Union, has been a huge help in funding the wraps for several of our vans.

Their support is a tangible example of what it looks like when a community invests not only in programs, but in the infrastructure that makes those programs accessible to more young people.

Because the story of 500 Strong is not simply that 501 kids walked through our doors in one day.

It is the story of everything that had to grow alongside them.

More programs. More staff. More resources. More routes.

And more vehicles to make sure our Club Kids can get here.

When we look back at where our transportation operation was in March 2025 and compare it to where it is today, the growth is astounding.

And perhaps most importantly, it is proof that we are doing something right.

We are growing because our community’s young people need what the Club provides. And we are building what it takes to make sure they can get here.