Beverly and Don Red

As people in T-shirts, shorts and tennis shoes gathered in South Park, the start to their evening workout with Don “Red Dog” Gardner was far from routine.

In addition to those in athletic attire, there were community members in dress clothes and Lawrence police officers in uniform. The sun had set, but it was in the park that Harry Herington wanted to make his surprise announcement — that the new Boys & Girls Club Teen Center would be named for Gardner and his wife, Beverly.

Beverly and Don Red

“We wanted it to happen here in front of Don and Bev, their support group and fans,” Herington told the crowd of about 50 people.

Herington announced that he and his wife, Cindy, had pledged to donate $250,000 toward the future teen center in honor of the Gardners, and that it would carry the name “The Don and Beverly Gardner Center for Great Futures.”

Don Gardner has led community workouts for youth and adults for more than 30 years, and for 10 years the couple has organized a 5K/10K run to raise money for the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence.

Don Gardner — a former Marine, police officer and director of security at Lawrence High School — confided later that he’d gone many years without crying, but he was choked up by Thursday night’s honor. Microphone in hand, Gardner thanked Herington and the crowd.

“I grew up in a foster home,” he said, noting he lived for 10 years on Delaware Street. “And I have said to Boys & Girls Club people that I wish there had been one when I was here.”

The Boys & Girls Club has the ultimate fundraising goal of $5 million to build the teen center, and the Herington’s donation increases the amount raised to $1.2 million, said Colby Wilson, executive director. The new teen center will enable the club to serve more youth and offer additional programs, Wilson said.

“We can’t think of two better people for what we’re going to do for our teen center,” he said.

The club’s current teen center at 1520 Haskell Ave. is overcrowded with about 70 teens who use the building after school. The future teen center will be adjacent to the newly completed Lawrence College and Career Center, 2910 Haskell Ave. The center will share spaces for music, arts, athletics and a culinary kitchen with the Lawrence school district, according to a news release from the club.

Wilson said the project’s timeline, which is dependent on fundraising efforts, is to break ground in fall 2016 and have the new teen center open by August 2017.