FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

 

Contact:            Sid Gillispie

                        Elkins/Randolph County YMCA

                        (304) 636-4515

                        memberservices@elkinsymca.org

 

Elkins/Randolph County YMCA Announces Hours for New Free Drop-in YOUTH CENTER

(July 2007, Elkins, WV) The Elkins/Randolph County YMCA is excited to announce the opening of its new, drop-in style youth center for local youth.  The center will operate Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons, with Friday evenings designated for ninth and tenth graders and Saturdays for six through eighth graders.

 

The idea of the center is to provide youth with a place to have fun and socialize with their peers in a safe and supervised environment. “We want local youth to have a place to hang out with their friends, play board games or Sega and listen to music, but we also want parents to have peace of mind that their kids are in a supervised environment,” said YMCA executive director Sid Gillispie.

 

The YMCA partnered with the Randolph County America’s Promise Coalition to plan and develop the center. “We have wanted to undertake this project for a while", Gillispie said "and with changes that have been made to the facility in the past year, we feel that the time is right to open the youth center to the public."

"Thanks to grants from organizations like Wal-Mart and the Randolph County Family Resource Network, we have added new equipment like a new pool table, foosball, air hockey, a stereo, board games as well as a large screen TV with a Sony Playstation and Dance, Dance Revolution”, said Gillispie. "With the recent donation of $1,000 from the Snowshoe Foundation, we have also been able to build an exterior door that leads directly into the center from Davis Avenue. This new door will serve as the entrance to the center and will allow us to operate beyond the hours that the YMCA is traditionally open."

The drop-in style center will be open on Friday evenings from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. and on Saturdays from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. starting on Friday, July 27th. Gino's Pizza and Spaghetti House has generously donated pizzas for the opening weekend.

 

Once the center is established, the YMCA plans on coordinating special events like pool parties, movie nights and "Wallyball" tournaments, and may extend its hours of operation depending upon the response by area youth.

The center will be free, but youth will be required to sign in and out upon entering and exiting the facility.

Staff for the center will be funded by a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration grant that was awarded to the Randolph County Family Resource Network. The grant funds allow for staffing of the center through the end of September. A minimum of two staff will be on duty at all times and possibly more depending on the number of youth who frequent the facility.  The YMCA is seeking additional donations and grant funding to support the center through the rest of the school year.

 

The Randolph County America’s Promise Coalition supports and mobilizes community resources to increase local capacity to promote character, competency, healthy lifestyles and resiliency in youth. For more information about the Coalition or the Family Resource Network, please call 636-4454.

 

The YMCA is dedicated to improving the lives of men, women, and children in the region through quality programs, classes, and activities. It recognizes the need to be available to all members of the community regardless of ability to pay.  Financial assistance is available for children, seniors and people with disabilities based on household income and family size as well demonstrated special needs. 

 

The YMCA is located at 400 Davis Avenue and can be reached at 636-4515. Visit the Elkins YMCA on the web at www.elkinsymca.org