Al Wittenberg, a long-time Wholesale Chess member and retired chess player, spends many hours each week at four local Boys and Girls Clubs spending time with kids and teaching them to be better chess players. “We try to put a chess set in the hands of any kids that show an aptitude or a real enthusiasm for chess.”
Hand Made Chess Pieces
Difficult as times are right now, Wholesale Chess has embraced the goal to help in the process of supplying chess sets at an affordable price for scholastic programs and young chess players. That made me a bit curious about Al’s program, and I wanted to learn more about what Al and the kids at the Boys and Girls Clubs in Southern Nevada were up to, and here’s what we learned:
Chess Student and Teacher
“Initially, I started with table chess sets, but two years ago I saw the giant chess pieces and the floor chessboard. I did purchase the giant chessboard from Wholesale Chess, but decided to make the chess pieces…what a job! After we had cut them out of particle board, assembled them, and sanded them, I took them over to the Boys and Girls Club where I was volunteering to have the students paint them. They had a perfectly marvelous time, and certainly felt part of the process!”
Since that time the giant chess set has been the focus of competitions a couple of times a year at four different Boys and Girls Clubs, an elementary school Gifted and Talented class of 3-5 graders, plus twice at the Advanced Technologies Academy. The Academy has a “Game Night” three times a year, where middle and high school students can play board games through the afternoon. Al has taken the giant chess set as well as multiple table chess sets for the youth to play on during Game Night. The chess sets are always very well received, and the boys and girls have a terrific time playing chess.
Giant Chess Set
Wholesale Chess is proud to recently have donated $150 as part of a drawing Al entered to help support chess at the Boys and Girls Clubs in Southern Nevada. It’s nice to know that chess stands strong today and continues to bring meaningful values and educational strength to the youth of our nation through the efforts of volunteers like Al, and many others I have the pleasure of working with on a regular basis.