SOAR's new Teen Center reopened this week

Last updated Oct 03, 2006 12:0pm0

The wait is over. Last Thursday after school, kids crowded outside the doors to SOAR's Teen Center to see what the $30,000 redesign looked like. They poured in and described the new room as "awesome!"

Sisters Organization for Activities & Recreation upgraded the space used by teens before and after school with design expertise from Let's Make a Space and dozens of other donors. Gone is the dingy old room. The new space has bright striped walls, space to display students' art and cubbies for backpacks.

Now kids can enjoy a pool table, snack area, tables for visiting or homework and non-violent video games. The TV and electronics are now in a "bomb proof" cabinet so wires can't be damaged.

Sixth grader Ari Baker said it was "way better" than he had imagined. The video game console XBox 360 was his favorite thing in the new room.

"I think it's great!" said junior Alexis Wainwright.

"It has a lot more color and vibrance in it," said tenth grader Leanna Kirk. "I like what they did with the TV - getting it off the ground is totally cool."

"I like the whole thing," said sixth grader Bert Isle.

"We're coming here every day after school," said sixth grader Marissa Bendel.

"This is our home now. I like everything," said sixth grader Harley Bowler.

The designer said closing the room for only a few weeks made the redesign a challenge.

"I'm never going to get it done in eight days," thought Andy Barrow of Let's Make a Space.

"It was so cool to see the kids' faces," said SOAR Executive Director Carrie Ward.

"To me, it's actually very heartwarming," said Arlene Gibson of Foundations That Make a Difference who gathered donations to make the redesign possible.

"I look forward to the community stepping up and expanding so more and more kids can participate," said Gibson. She and Ward expect that more than the past average of 35 kids a day will want to use the new "cooler" space.

The redesign process will be shown several times on COTV. SOAR will post the times on its Web site at http://www.sistersrecreation.com.

SOAR to host Teen Center Grand Opening

Sisters Organization for Activities & Recreation (SOAR) and Foundations That Make A Difference will host the Grand Opening of the Teen Center at the SOAR Community Center on Thursday, October 5 at 5:30 p.m.

The community is invited to attend and see the new Teen Center that has recently received a $30,000 makeover (see related story, this page).

The Teen Center Make Over, a project of Foundations That Make A Difference, was completed with the contributions of labor and materials from more than 20 different sponsors. Arlene Gibson, J.D., founder and CEO of Foundations That Make A Difference, worked with businesses and donors to remodel the teen center to help attract more young people to SOAR programs which offer kids opportunities to participate in enrichment, educational and recreation programs in Sisters.

Light refreshments will be served at the open house. For more information call the SOAR Community Center at 549-2091.