As he was showing off the club's new gym, teen center and computer lab, Jerry Houck, senior vice president of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Philadelphia, praised the Victorinos' impact on the Nicetown community.
"They really put their mark and their stamp on this club, not just to reopen [it] but to have it thrive and to be the pulse of this community as this club once was," Houck said.
Senior Vice President John Gonzalez said the Victorinos stood out from other philanthropists he's dealt with.
"I've seen others who make donations to other organizations, but they give the donation and then say, ‘Call me later,' but Shane was hands-on from the beginning," Gonzalez said.
Houck, who's been with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Philadelphia for 11 years, added that the Victorinos could be seen during the renovation process putting paint samples on the wall, picking colors for rooms and sharing their visions for the building.
The Nicetown club is one of the oldest in the city and was one of the original 53 clubs incorporated as Boys and Girls Clubs in 1906. Before the renovations, the building was such a sad state that much of the facility was unusable.
Powell said the building had no air conditioning, a leaking roof in the gym, an underused basement and no outside recreation area. Now there's a playground, and the inside has been "gutted."
Powell said that even after the facility reopened in January, Victorino has been active at the club, visiting at least twice. A group of about 25 club members went to a Phillies game last week where Victorino spent time with the kids before the game on the field.
Even though Victorino will now be playing on the West Coast, Powell said that he expects him to visit and that the door is open for him.
"Although he'll be 3,000 miles away," Powell said, "he'll definitely be here in spirit."
Contact Sean Carlin at 215-854-5926, carlins@phillynews.com or on Twitter @SeanCarlin84.
