On Saturday afternoon, a group of friends and family members gathered outside the Salesian Boys & Girls Club in East Boston to officially rename the corner of Byron and Bennington Streets ‘Wally Bowe Corner’.

The new street sign is a testament to the work Bowe did inside the Club, shaping the lives of Eastie’s youth during a career that spanned several decades. Bowe died suddenly in 2010 at the age of 53 years old but his memory lives on through the Wally Bowe fund that continues to help support Boys & Girls Club programs. The Wally Bowe Fund not only keeps his memory alive, but also continues the good work he did every day as a coach, teacher and role model for local youth.

“Wally’s influence is felt all throughout East Boston from the Point to Eagle Hill to up here in Orient Heights,” said Jim Correale who knew Bowe since becoming a ‘Club Kid’ at 13-years-old. “This is one of the places he made his biggest impact working at the Boys & Girls Club and Savio High School where hundreds and hundreds of young people were influenced by him. So we are here to dedicate this corner to him and I want to thank everyone for coming.”

Bowe was 14 years old when he started working at the Boys & Girls Club. He loved helping kids.

“It wasn’t about money,” said longtime friend Carlo Basile. “And it wasn’t about prestige.”

Basile said back in those days the club was open six days a week, Monday through Saturday and on the seventh day Bowe would take a bunch of kids on his day off to a park or to Salisbury Beach in the summer.

“That’s just the type of guy Wally was,” he said.

The event was also an opportunity for Bowe’s family to present the Salesian with a check from the last Wally Bowe Fund fundraiser that was held earlier this summer.

The fund, administered by his daughters Jillian and Janae, wife Darlene, and others in the community, provides support to the Salesians Boys & Girls Club, a non-profit organization that Bowe attended as a young man and where he worked for 25 years.

After presenting the check to Boys & Girls Club Director Michael Triant Bowe’s wife, Darlene, and daughter, Janae, removed the cover to unveil the official street sign in honor of Bowe.

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Wally Bowe’s wife, Darlene, and daughter, Janae, unveil the street sign at the corner of Byron and Bennington Street just outside the Salesians Boys & Girls Club in honor of Bowe’s work at the club. The corner has been officially renamed ‘Wally Bowe Corner’.

Inside

Wally Bowe’s wife, Darlene, and longtime friend Nancy LoConte.

Carlo Basile, Darlene Bowe and Nancy LoConte.

Boys & Girls Club Director Michael Triant with his son, Jim Correale and Jim Garaci.

Wally Bowe’s longtime friend Jim Correale thanks the crowd.

Wally Bowe’s friends, family and Salesian Boys & Girls Club gathered on the corner of Byron and Bennington Street for the street sign unveiling.

Wally Bowe’s wife, Darlene, and daughter, Janae, unveil the street sign at the corner of Byron and Bennington Street just outside the Salesians Boys & Girls Club in honor of Bowe’s work at the club

The corner of Byron and Bennington Street has been officially named ‘Wally Bowe Corner’.

Wally Bowe’s wife, Darlene, presents the Salesian Boys & Girls Club with a check from money raised through the Wally Bowe Fund.

Wally Bowe’s friends and family celebrate the renaming of the corner.

Jim Correale and Peter Bocchino.

Wally Bowe’s sister, Jacqueline Bowe DiMichele, wife, Darlene, daughter, Janae, and Jim Correale.