COEUR d'ALENE - Ryan Davis and Andy Barrett hung 150 banners Thursday.

They want to make sure everyone in the county knows about the Partnership for Kids fundraiser and awareness campaign.

The month-long event begins June 1. Its goal is to garner visibility for the Boys and Girls Club of Kootenai County and raise funds for the club's operating costs. Right now, the Boys and Girls Club is facilitated through Sorensen Elementary School and a location in Post Falls. Because these are not year-round facilities, a new Boys and Girls Club is also a hopeful item on the agenda.

"Our goal, regardless of where the site is, is to be able to provide a similar, dedicated facility in Coeur d'Alene to be able to run programs both during the school year and the summer and to increase our footprint because of all the different schools that are there and the need that is there," said Davis, executive director of the Boys and Girls Club of Kootenai County. Davis has been an employee for about 13 years, but has been involved since the early '90s.

Partnership for Kids offers many ways to get involved. Sponsorship levels begin with $250 to be a silver sponsor and range up to the $2,500 "grand benefactor" level. A large part of this campaign includes showcasing participating businesses through print, TV and radio ads as well as radio interviews. Businesses will also be listed or featured on the Boys and Girls Club website.

And don't forget the banners. Two sizes are available to ensure participating businesses can show off their support for the kiddos.

"The whole idea behind this is to raise money to be able to provide staffing programs on a yearly basis. This is not a capital campaign," Davis said. He said he feels Coeur d'Alene has a huge need for a Boys and Girls Club, and the need is growing.

"A lot of kids don't have the means to get involved in other programs," he said. "They either can't get there or they don't have the means to do it, and that's where Boys and Girls Club comes in." He said the club can help change negative trends found in youth, and in some communities where clubs are established, juvenile crime rates drop by about 18 to 25 percent.

Individuals who want to donate can visit the website, www.northidahobgc.org, and become a part of the 300 Club. This entails $25 a month or $300 a year, and it is available to join through the year.

The Boys and Girls Club is a youth development center. It is not a government entity and mostly relies on donations from businesses and individuals. Less than 5 percent of its funding comes from grants. Its mission is "to enable all young people, especially, those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens." It operates after school programs and provides mentorship, homework assistance, sports/health activities and life skills development for more than 400 kids in the area. The club partners with Coeur d'Alene Sting Soccer, the Mobius Science Center out of Spokane and the Jacklin Arts and Cultural Center in Post Falls. It is run by paid professionals who highly prioritize children's safety. It only costs $40 a year for membership.

"It's not just 'come to the club and play games,'" Davis said, "it's teaching them to make wise decisions. It's teaching them how to win and in some cases, lose."

He explained that in a world where every kid gets a ribbon, it is important to know how to lose with grace.

Barrett has been involved with the Boys and Girls Club for three years. He is the executive director of Berg Companies and a volunteer for the club. His company donates $50,000 a year to the club, and has agreed to fund raise $50,000 a year for another five years. He said he didn't know what the Boys and Girls Club was when he went to Lewiston with his kids for a soccer trip a while ago. A similar campaign was evident there.

"Everywhere I looked, businesses had banners similar to this," Barrett said. He said it made him realize how much that community rallies around its children. "It felt good," he said with a beaming smile.

Barrett said he has seen many kids in the downtown area who may not have had support at home and therefore "took that exit."

"Just because a kid doesn't get shuttled off to piano lessons, and then Spanish, and then soccer and lacrosse, doesn't mean they shouldn't have a fair shake," he said. "I think it's our responsibility as a community to rally and support those kids."

Info: www.northidahobgc.org