11/23/2008 8:44:00 PM Enthusiastic community welcomes new Rainier Vista Boys & Girls Club
On Friday, Nov. 15, nearly 2,400 peope visited the newly constructed Rainier Vista Boys & Girls Club and Rainier Valley Teen Center for an afternoon long grand opening ceremony. The club is a complex with a building dedicated to teens, another dedicated to younger children, and an artificial turf playfield in the back. The largest of its kind ever built in the public housing in the United States, the radically expanded club will be able to serve 4,000 children, their families and the community at large. Above, children try out the club’s new recreation room, which includes a perenial favorite: foosball!
Below, a girl paints a ceramic tile to commemorate the club’s opening. The tiles will be used to decorate tabletops in the new courtyard. Photo: Sean Watson
By ERIK HANSEN
At 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 15, The Rainier Vista Boys & Girls Club and Rainier Valley Teen Center opened the doors to their new facility. It's the largest such club in the county to be built in public housing and has the capacity to serve an estimated 4,000 children, according to Boys & Girls Clubs of King County spokesperson Rachel Doxtater. The new club is three times the size of the facility it replaced.
"The process of getting the building built has been ongoing for 5 or 6 years now, but (Rainier Vista executive director) Bill Burton made a promise to the kids in 1980 when it became apparent that the club was too small," noted Doxtater, who said the old club was being used right until it was torn down in September 2007. "It got to a point where it was inefficient and they needed a lot more space."
The Rainier Vista Boys & Girls Club is a nationally-recognized facility with some of the most innovative programs in the country. Ameneties include a commercial grade recording studio, internet café, teaching kitchen, health & dental clinic, two-gym field house, two large education centers plus four classrooms and two large tech labs.
The original Rainier Vista Boys & Girls Club was built in 1976 and was a community landmark until it was torn down. During construction, the club operated from a temporary space in the Rainier Valley Community Center.
Saturday's open house celebration ran from noon- 4 p.m. and featured with art projects, basketball, music performances, and food.
The opening of the new facility couldn't be more timely. Due to the economic crisis, Boys & Girls Clubs throughout King County are experiencing many challenges: more kids are relying on snacks and meals at the clubs and attendance at club drop-in programs has grown quickly with some clubs signing up three-to-five new members each week. The clubs have also been reporting that kids are exhibiting signs of stress picked up from a parent worried about lay-offs, eviction or finances
"When we were kids, we didn't have anything but a community building with a stage, a basketball hoop and a room for arts and crafts," said Burton, a life-long resident of the Rainier Vista area. "It's about fulfilling a promise. It makes me feel great that we had a group of people that had the same vision and we didn't quit on it."
The new 40,000 sq. ft. club is designed with two distinct areas; one side for a traditional Boys & Girls Club and the other side for a Teen Center. Additionally, the new light rail that runs right outside the club has made the facility the only regional center in the King County chapter's 14 Club system. Teens as far south as SeaTac will be able to reach the Club in 15 minutes on the train.
Boys & Girls Club programming provides critical access to low-cost, positive activities during after-school hours when children and teens are most vulnerable to involvement in drug use, petty crime, and sexual activities. Club programs include activities that promote academic success, build self-esteem, and encourage personal goal setting. The new club will offer expanded programming targeting development of cooking skills and nutrition, gardening, life skills classes, cultural awareness activities, an arts program including drama, photography, choir, dance classes, journalism and creative writing.
Erik Hansen may be reached via editor@southseattlebeacon.com.
