WUSA 9 television provided really nice coverage of the Lamond-Riggs Boys & Girls Club Reunion & Community Welcoming event that took place on May 14, 2022 at the Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center. It was a wonderful event where people who grew up in the neighborhood came together to celebrate their pride in a neighborhood that invested so much in them. The Lamond-Riggs Boys and Girls Club got its start in a little red church building and eventually found a home in the Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center. Seeing so many come back to the neighborhood to attend this event and express so much joy at seeing old neighbors with whom they grew up, it became even clearer why so many chose this neighborhood in the 1960s to call home and why so many who grew up here feel such great pride in the neighborhood.

The event was emceed by Howard Burnett, who grew up in Riggs Park and went on to become a senior administrator with Prince George’s County Public Schools. The program recognized all those who made a difference in the lives of the young people in the neighborhood–founders of the boys and girls club, coaches, and community partners. Guest speaker Richard Dyer, who is the president and general manager of WUSA 9 television, also grew up in Riggs Park. His family lived in the neighborhood from 1967 to 1992.

Pictures of the program below

Origin of event

The event grew out of facebook group conversations among individuals who grew up in the neighborhood, talking about the changes that they were seeing in the neighborhood. Those conversations made their way to Frank Jones, who also grew up in Riggs Park and has a special talent for putting on events. Mr. Jones retired from many years of service at the Walter Reed Medical Center, including in special events. He decided to volunteer his organization, the DC High School Alumni Association, to sponsor the event and pulled together a team of three committees to assist. Many of those assisting in the planning were his fellow Coolidge High School alumni. Mr. Jones said one of his goals was to make sure the event would be a bridge between generations and unite residents. That is one reason the event was stylized as both a reunion and community welcoming event. The team also wanted to give back, so they decided to donate funds to both the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association (LRCA) and the Friends of Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center.

It really was a special treat to see so many come back, hear how much the boys and girls club meant to them, and hear how they wish to continue meeting the needs of youth in the neighborhood.

Additional event photos below