A Tribute to Mark Sakry: Remembering a Lifetime Commitment to Caring for our Youth
It is with deep sadness and profound gratitude that we remember and honor Mark Sakry, legacy Executive Director of Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Minnesota.
For more than 38 years, Mark gave his heart and soul to the Boys & Girls Club. What began in 1979 as a volunteer role became a lifelong vocation and mission. Mark once shared that “the mission of the Boys & Girls Club to help youth is engrained in me. It’s such a big part of who I am.” Those words perfectly reflect the way he lived and led—with purpose, humility, vision and an unwavering belief in the potential of every child.
Mark’s leadership helped shape Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Minnesota into the premier youth-serving organization it is today. He began during the Club’s humble beginnings at the old Eastside Club, located in a converted dairy building serving about 70 youth per day. Over the decades, he led the organization through transformational growth, including multiple successful capital campaigns, the development and expansion of the Roosevelt, Southside and Eastside Club facilities, and the creation of safe, inspiring spaces where generations of youth could belong, learn, grow and thrive.
By the end of 1994, the Club had successfully completed a capital campaign and the construction of our first new Boys & Girls Club facility – the Roosevelt Club. Donated park land, collaborative partners and access to Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) led to the construction of this $800,000 facility. The Roosevelt Club, Head Start classrooms, and the Club’s administrative offices opened with a ribbon cutting ceremony on December 15, 1994.
In 1995, after a shooting occurred in Southside Park, an outreach program was launched at the La Cruz apartments, and Sakry, along with the board and staff, began plans for the construction of the Southside Boys & Girls Club. It took a few years and a lot of fundraising, but on January 30, 2001, the Club celebrated the opening of the $3.7 million Southside Boys & Girls Club.
In 2005, Sakry and the Board of Directors agreed that a replacement for the Eastside facility was necessary, and plans for the new building were drawn. The new Eastside Club opened in Raymond Park on December 28, 2008.
In 2011, a campaign was launched to expand the Roosevelt Boys & Girls Club to include a commercial kitchen, kids’ café and teen center. The newly expanded and renovated Club opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony June 27, 2013.
Sadly, in June 2014, a lightning-sparked fire destroyed the Roosevelt Early Childhood Education Center next door to the Roosevelt Club and robbed the youth of the gym that the Club had shared with the school for 20 years. This launched another campaign to finally add a gym onto the Club. Construction of this gym expansion was completed successfully in November 2015.
Under Mark’s leadership, the KIDSTOP school-aged child care program grew from two pilot sites in 1985 to 15 sites across Central Minnesota, giving working families peace of mind by providing a safe, reliable and enriching place for children before and after school and throughout the summer.
Lastly, Mark’s dream to bring high quality arts programming to the Boys & Girls Club started in 2008 when his leadership resulted in adding a stage to the Eastside Club. It was fully realized in 2014 when the organization partnered with Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the Wallace Foundation to test 10 success principles for high quality arts programming in visual arts, dance, digital arts and fashion & sewing. The Board of Directors made a commitment to sustain Youth Arts Initiative beyond the research phase, because they saw how the arts transformed the learning environment and empowered youth to develop artistic skills, confidence, self-identity, resiliency and positive relationships. Again, the Club’s commitment to the arts was sparked and fueled by Mark’s passion and vision.
For decades, Mark made dreams become reality for tens of thousands of children across Central Minnesota. Under his positive and inspirational leadership, Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Minnesota has grown into one of the largest Boys & Girls Club organizations in the country, serving more than 1,500 youth in grades K-12 each day.
But Mark’s legacy is not measured only in buildings, programs or numbers. It is measured in the thousands of lives changed because a caring adult believed in them. It is measured in the children who found safety and consistency when they needed it most, the teens who discovered their purpose, the families who found support, and the staff, donors and volunteers who were inspired to join him in this great work. Mark often said, “Our community can’t afford to lose even one child,” and he lived that belief every day.
We also recognize that Mark’s extraordinary commitment was shared by his family. To his wife, Diane, and his children, DeeDee and Brent: thank you for sharing Mark with the Boys & Girls Club family for so many years. His service changed the course of this organization and the lives of countless youth.
The Board and staff of the Boys & Girls Club are honored to stand on the foundation Mark built. His integrity, mission-driven spirit and deep love for kids continue to guide our work today. Every child who walks through our doors and finds belonging, encouragement and hope is part of Mark’s legacy.
Today, we celebrate a life of extraordinary purpose. Mark Sakry made Central Minnesota stronger. He made the Boys & Girls Club better. And most importantly, he made brighter futures possible for generations of youth.
His legacy will live on in every great future still to come.
Visitation & Funeral information:
Obituary: https://www.danielfuneralhome.com/obit/mark-k-sakry/
Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 12, 2026 at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in St. Cloud.
Visitation will be held from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. on Monday, May 11th at Daniel Funeral Home in St. Cloud and one hour prior to services on Tuesday, May 12th at the Church. A time of sharing will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Monday at the funeral home.