A donation from the Knights of Columbus ensures the children will stay active throughout the year.
AVONDALE - The Avondale Youth Center is home to 22 children between ages 10 and 18, so sporting activities are a popular part of the day. Equipment is needed for most of those tasks, and the center was short on most of them.
The Knights of Columbus Council 505 made sure to change that.
The council, including Grand Knight Mark Hill and Youth Program Chair Robert La Prad, presented the center with several new sporting good items this week as part of its Christmas in July program.
Around 70 percent of the items were purchased new, like new footballs, softballs, fishing equipment and tennis rackets — to name a few — from the K of C's general fund. The rest came from donations from members, including a pool table and ping pong table.
Gary King, youth center director, said in an article published last summer in the TR that the center had been in need of sporting goods for some time. La Prad read the article and decided to approach the council about helping.
The K of C 505 picks one organization annually to help.
"In talking with Gary he had indicated that they needed some sports equipment, and lots of it," La Prad said. "So we took the lead and decided to put it together."
La Prad and his wife, Dorothy, took care of the shopping from local sporting goods stores.
The children will use the equipment during activity time and down time around the facility. The gymnasium on campus is also in need of upgrades, King said, which is something they have tried to do this year. Much of the equipment on hand is good for warmer weather, but the ping pong table and pool table will offer something the kids can use year round.
King said keeping the children active is a must.
“A healthy body is a healthy mind, is the way I look at it,” King said. “Our kids, they’ve been through a lot of trauma. They have a lot of stress in their lives and they come from difficult backgrounds. To be able to do group activities and stay active is just very, very positive. It really has a deep impact on our kids."
Some children are at the center because they have behavioral problems, other simply don't have family to care for them. Many are from Muskingum County, however the center also houses children from surrounding areas such as Coshocton, Guernsey, Noble and Fairfield counties.
One resident in the center, Peyton, was the first boy to see the delivered goods. He was particularly happy about the new basketballs, since The Sidwell Foundation is currently revamping the outdoor basketball courts.
He said he was certain the others at the center would be extremely happy and thanked the K of C members for their generosity.