Fundraising initiative to transform Park Meadows into flagship club
The Maylene and Wen Wu Family Foundation has pledged a $1 million gift to kickstart Boys & Girls Clubs of Lee County’s capital campaign to renovate its Park Meadows Community Club.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Lee County purchased the former Fort Myers Event Center in May 2022, eyeing the 14,500-square-foot building’s potential as a flagship club for Southwest Florida. The Park Meadows Community Club began serving children and teens that fall as the nonprofit’s board and leadership team partnered with contractors to plan an extensive renovation.
“The generous lead gift from the Maylene and Wen Wu Family Foundation allows us to begin turning those plans into action,” said Denise Gergley, CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Lee County. “Maylene and Wen are local business leaders and support our vision to create a flagship club in a community where so many families don’t have access to quality, affordable after-school and summer programs.”
Renovation plans for Park Meadows include enclosed activity centers, a teen center, gathering hall, innovation lab, culinary center, youth playground, community conference room, game room, academic center, health and wellness center, “big dreams hub,” creative corner, sports field and wall mural.
Maylene Kiang Wu has served on the board of directors at Boys & Girls Clubs of Lee County since 2019 and has been board president since 2021. Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Florida Alliance recently named Wu as its 2024 Florida Board Member of the Year.
Wen Wu is a former engineer who founded House of Wu, a bridal and formalwear designer with 26 individual labels and a network of more than 1,200 retailers across the U.S., Canada, Europe, Mexico, the Middle East, Central America, South America and the Caribbean.
The couple also lead Pacific Peak LLC, a Southwest Florida real estate investment group focused on ground-up development, sales, acquisitions and joint ventures.
“The theme of this capital campaign is ‘Doing whatever it takes to build great futures,’ and Wen and I could not be more enthusiastic about helping fund this transformational project for the youth of Lee County,” said Maylene Kiang Wu. “All children and teens deserve opportunities to chase their dreams, and Park Meadows will become a place that provides club members with tools and resources to make their dreams a reality.”
In addition to the Wu Family Foundation’s gift, Boys & Girls Clubs of Lee County has multiple sponsorship opportunities still available, including naming rights for portions of the Park Meadows building as well as tiered sponsor levels starting at $10,000. For more information about the Park Meadows Capital Campaign, please call 239-250-2504 or email DGergley@BGClee.org.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of Lee County
Established in 1974, Boys & Girls Clubs of Lee County serve children and teens through school-based, neighborhood and community club locations. The nonprofit’s mission is to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens. After-school and summer programs focus on five core areas: education and career, service and leadership, health and wellness, the arts, and sports and recreation. For more information, please visit BGClee.org or call 239-334-1886.
