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Boys Ranch celebrates 75th year

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By Sam Waller

Ben Richey Boys Ranch will celebrate its 75th anniversary this fall with the Albany campus taking part in the festivities.

A reception is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 24 at the Abilene campus located at 501 Ben Richey Drive in Abilene.

The ranch opened in August 1947 as a project of the Abilene Optimist Club to help young men get a second chance in life.

“Without the Boys Ranch, there are a lot of at-risk youth who would still be at risk,” Albany campus director Michael Bean said. “We serve that niche in the community where at-risk boys can find a place to belong.”

Ben Richey, a former Optimist Club president, petitioned the City of Abilene for land use south of the city and secured 350 acres.

The Albany campus, located off County Road 147 south of town, opened in July 2004.

“Being a satellite campus, it enabled us to facilitate taking in more at-risk boys,” Bean said. “I have to thank Albany residents for opening up their arms to us and being nonjudgmental about where the boys are from or why they’re here.”

Ben Richey Boys Ranch does not take any state or federal funding and is operated entirely with contributions from community friends, foundations, corporations, clubs, and organizations. Six annual fundraisers are held to cover costs.

Contributions to the Albany campus may be sent to P.O. Box 2645, Albany, Texas 76430. For more information, contact Bean at 325-762-3922.

“If anybody wants to come out and take a tour of the facility, call me, and I’ll be glad to show them around,” Bean said. “Even after 18-plus years, we still find people in the community who don’t know Albany has a campus.”

Richey said community support enables Ben Richey Boys Ranch to continue with its mission.

“Thanks to the donors we have, we have kids who get to experience youth camps, varsity football, all the experiences you can’t put a price on,” he said.