Club to provide safe place for teens

A little extra cash, a lot of free time and no parents to answer to can be a dangerous combination for most teens. Without proper upbringing and supervision, teenagers often turn to drinking, drugs and sex.

Billy McKinney knows firsthand that temptation can lead down a dangerous path. McKinney said the wrong crowd and no real guidance led to some rough times for him as a teenager in Newbury Park and Reseda.

Now a father of three and a resident of Agoura Hills, McKinney wants to make sure other Conejo Valley teens don’t follow in his footsteps.

To that end, McKinney has spent the last year starting The Pad, a nonprofit community center geared towards high school students. The goal is to create a fun, safe place for local teens free of drugs and alcohol. McKinney hopes to open The Pad in 2006.

“This idea came from my own personal experience when I was a teenager,” McKinney said. “I had no where to go, and so I started to hang out with the wrong crowd. I just wanted to hang out with kids who accepted me. The Pad gives kids a place to go and not get in trouble.” McKinney’s ultimate vision for The Pad is to create a club where teens want to spend their Friday and Saturday nights. It would be an alternative to other teen hangouts like the mall, the movies or vacant parking lots.

“We want a place with aroma therapy, video games, pool tables, massage chairs and a dance floor,” McKinney said. Counseling services and sports classes are also planned for the club.

The Pad would be open for dancing at night. McKinney said a teen-only dance club is a better alternative to city nightclubs, where teens use fake IDs and are exposed to both adults and alcohol.

For the past year, McKinney has worked with Emily Lawrence, the group’s secretary and treasurer, raising money through a grass-roots campaign. Although the nonprofit has raised $3,000, McKinney said they are far from their ultimate goal.

Lawrence believes just $10,000 will go a long way for their cause.

After the purchase of a building and the various club amenities, insurance would be the most expensive line item for the organization.

McKinney and Lawrence will volunteer their time to work at The Pad once it opens.

To help offset costs, admission for dances will be $7 and monthly membership will cost about $35.

The nonprofit receives support from the Agoura Hills and Malibu Chambers of Commerce, and most of the fundraising has been kept to car washes and barbeques. A Fourth of July teen dance to raise money is also being planned.

McKinney wants to move the business out of his home and into an office space somewhere in Agoura Hills. The cost of commercial property is steep, though, and McKinney said finding affordable office space is a challenge.

McKinney also plans to offer a student-run taxi service to provide rides for teenagers who have been drinking. He said his organization does not condone underage drinking, but he believes an alternative to drunk driving for local teens should be available.

For more information on The Pad, visit www.thepadinc.com.

To make a donation, call (818) 625-9469.