Prince George is the newest B.C. city to welcome a chapter of Girls Club, an event-based charity that celebrates and connects girls with neuro-developmental differences, like autism, ADHD, severe anxiety, Downs Syndrome, and the like.
Girls Club was created to give neurodivergent girls ways to meet and form friendships with likeminded peers. Otherwise, these kids are restricted to less-welcoming mainstream environments, where they have little-to-no opportunity to spend time with people who experience the world in the ways they do.
The group was founded in the Lower Mainland in 2017, and rapidly grew to support chapters across the province. It previously had a chapter in Northern B.C., but it closed its doors with COVID, and has not had the capacity to reopen until local mom Kristen McBurnie decided to make it happen.
McBurnie is a youth care worker for School District 57 and a mom to two autistic kids. She has watched her own children struggle socially, and said in a release that she knew that Girls Club would be an excellent way to bring much-need recreational opportunities to young girls in our community.
The Northern B.C. Chapter launch party will be held on July 23 in Lheidli T’enneh Memorial Park. Fully inclusive, it will welcome girls of all abilities and ages. Ongoing events will include theme parties, arts and crafts, games, field trips, and more.
For more info about Girls Club, and to register to attend the launch event, go to www.inGIRLSCLUB.com.
