A volunteer cleans the game room at the clubhouse.

More than 3,000 Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts employees stepped out of their offices on Sept. 25 to roll up their sleeves for the company’s 15th annual Service Day, supporting 55 nonprofits across the state.

At the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston’s Yawkey Club of Roxbury, the day carried a special meaning. Volunteers joined staff to help with general maintenance work, including deep cleaning the locker rooms, swimming pool, art, music and theater rooms, among many other spaces in the club. They also connected with neighborhood youth in a building that has been a cornerstone of the community for generations.

“This is a place that’s very special. It’s been in the community for many years. Generations of kids have gone through this program and have been able to count Boys and Girls Clubs as an important part of their development process,” said Michele Courton Brown, vice chair of the organization’s board and a Blue Cross employee. “We really think of this as an opportunity to grow the next generation of leaders in the city of Boston.”

The Yawkey Club is marking 115 years of serving Roxbury. The club offers academic support, sports, arts, leadership programs, and now even opportunities in esports [electronic sports], giving young people outlets to pursue personal interests and professional skills.

Junior Perdomo, associate director of the Yawkey Club, said the connection between Blue Cross and the clubhouse runs deep. “Blue Cross Blue Shield has also been a good part of this community for many years,” he said. “Coming in here, doing service is very important to us. Not only for them to come in the building, but also for members to come and see them doing the work in this community, so they know who they are.”

For Perdomo, seeing former club kids return as adults to volunteer underscores the program’s lasting impact. “What we do here at the club is very important. Even when they are grown adults, they’re still trying to give back to a place that they called home once upon a time,” he said.

Blue Cross volunteers echoed that sentiment.

Fred Johnson has been a part of Service Day since its inception in 2011. “I totally love doing Service Day, just to give back to the community,” he said. “It’s a fun day to build rapport with co-workers, make friends, and it keeps me motivated to do more.”

For Marquis Tucker, the day was personal. Tucker, who works in customer service at Blue Cross, grew up attending the Yawkey Club. “My favorite part is to get out of the office and actually touch the community in a different way,” he said. “Today is particularly special to me because I used to be a member of this Boys and Girls Club when I was young. To really be back in a place that I grew up in, to see how things have changed, and how they’re still carrying on and servicing the community in a way that they used to service me, it just feels great.”

Across Massachusetts, Blue Cross teams also lent their time to refurbish bicycles at Bikes Not Bombs in Dorchester, prepare fresh meals at Community Servings in Jamaica Plain, clean up Carson Beach with Save the Harbor/Save the Bay and spruce up the children’s garden at Franklin Park Zoo.

Since launching Service Day in 2011, the company has invested $12 million into local communities and contributed 45,000 acts of volunteer service. Each year, Blue Cross also provides grants to cover project costs, ensuring that nonprofits can focus on serving their clients.

“This is more than a oneday event,” Courton Brown said. “It’s about modeling what it looks like to invest in a community, to invest in young people and to invest in the future of the city.”

For the Yawkey Club, that future includes programs tailored to modern opportunities. A newly built computer room with gaming chairs and high-end monitors doubles as a space for recreation and education. Perdomo said the club views esports as a pathway for youth to develop portfolios in design, coding and competitive gaming, with some colleges even offering scholarships.

“Yes, it’s video games, but why not have fun and be successful at it?” Perdomo said.

Thursday’s work at the Roxbury clubhouse was just as much about building relationships as it was about making repairs. Volunteers painted walls, organized spaces, and shared conversations with students who passed through. For Johnson and Tucker, it was a reminder of why they show up each year.

“I’ve been doing Service Day since it started, and I plan to keep coming back,” Johnson said. “It’s about giving back and being part of something bigger.”

For Tucker, returning to the club where he once spent afternoons as a child felt like coming full circle. “To give back in some way to the place that gave so much to me — that’s what today is about,” he said.

Blue Cross said the day reflects its broader mission of strengthening ties between employees and the communities they serve.

‘This is an opportunity not just to do the work, but to demonstrate the values we hold as a company,” Brown said. “When we invest our time and resources in our neighborhoods, we are investing in a stronger Massachusetts.”