OREGON, Ohio — On Saturday night, Maumee Bay State Park hosted a lively evening of food,
cocktails, and live music- right on the shore. It's all part of Barefoot on the Beach, one of Toledo's biggest events celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.
"We've been coming to a couple of years and it never fails to be a great time," said Laura Brindley, one of the attendees.
But it's more than just a fun night out. Barefoot is hosted by the boys and girls club, a local nonprofit that offers programs to kids to help them reach their full potential. Barefoot is their largest fundraiser, netting the organization some $250,000 to help fund their community outreach.
Paige LaPoint, a resource development coordinator with The Boys and Girls Club of Toledo explained their focus. "We try to help kids and the local youth stay safe, stay on the right track, get the right education they need. And they can always count on a place to go," LaPoint said.
LaPoint says children need access to organizations like the Boys and Girls Club, oftentimes providing a solid foundation for children that don't have one in their current environment.
"Not everyone has a stable place to go. And for them to be able to come to a club with kids their own age that they get to interact, they get to have fun, and it's just a great place."
Visitors to Barefoot on the beach say they've seen the positive impact of the Boys and Girls Club of Toledo firsthand.
"I work at a hospital and I had a child who was coming from a not great social setting, and he relied on the boys and girls club in his area. He was safe and he was welcomed every time," said Brindley.
And for visitors of Barefoot on the Beach, supporting that mission is easy: the earnings from admission tickets and drinks go directly into continuing to give children a safe place to grow and learn.