FUNDRAISING
We are currently raising funds to build the Community Center at Lake Chelan
Fundraising efforts include a combination of private donations and public and private grants, and an ongoing marketing effort to make as many potential donors aware of the CCLC as possible.
HOW TO CONTRIBUTE:
Become a Sponsor
There is a sponsorship level for every budget and every bit gets us closer to making this dream a reality. Donations are received via GivingFire. Thank you for considering a donation!
Naming Opportunities
This is your chance to make your mark on this community icon. Brick sponsorships start at just $150 and room/facilities naming starts at $25,000.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Introduction/General
The Foundation exists as the legal entity, a secular 501 c(3), that will facilitate the construction, maintenance and operations of the Community Center at Lake Chelan. SAF is run by the Executive Director, Raye Evans and CCLC Operations Director, Maribel Cruz, and is managed by a dedicated, highly experienced Board of Directors with a wide variety of skills and accomplishments.
This exciting new facility will serve as a hub for creating relationships and promoting health and wellness. It will meet the needs of the unserved, empower professional endeavors, promote volunteerism, and increase sports and healthy activities in the Lake Chelan Valley. It will be available to everyone! In addition to a tangible economic benefit to our community the construction phase of the project will bring many new job opportunities to our area, utilizing as many local contractors as possible.
In August 2020, we closed on the purchase of the property adjacent to the Lookout development. The location is better than the originally planned property on Anderson Road for many reasons, including proximity to downtown Chelan and Manson, proximity to utilities, and overall accessibility. Additionally, our agreement with the Lookout enabled the Foundation to donate five acres of buildable land to the Chelan Valley Housing Trust on Anderson Road. In October 2020, we broke ground and began earthwork and infrastructure into 2021. Water, sewer, power, and storm drains have been installed and the primary foundations for the 44,100 square foot facility have been poured. Under-slab electrical and plumbing have been prepared and in December 2021 before the weather turned too cold, we were able to pour the concrete slabs. Currently, the steel package for the main structure of the facility has arrived from Butler Manufacturing and been partially erected. We are working hard to open the Community Center in the summer of 2023.
No, the Seven Acres Foundation is the owner/operator of the Community Center. However, the Seven Acres Foundation is extremely grateful to the Lookout for generously donating a portion of land on which the facility will be built. Our space will be available to everyone in our community.
Fundraising is a huge undertaking and we still need more dollars, pledges, and commitments to reach the finish line. Please consider joining this amazing project. It will take the entire community
Facility
The CCLC will be located at the 103 Bighorn Way, on Hwy 150 just northwest of downtown Chelan and on Link Transit bus route #21. Situated on a six-acre campus, the Community Center’s main building will be a two-story structure with a total size of 44,100 square feet.
The CCLC is not just a recreation complex; rather it will provide opportunities for the whole person – mind, body and spirit. Some of its key facilities include:
- Multi-purpose auditorium/gymnasium:
- Full size basketball court with spectators or three practice courts
- Full size volleyball court with spectators or three practice courts
- Performance stage
- Hosting capacity of 500-700 people
- 25-yard competition swimming pool
- Five outdoor pickleball courts
- Two outdoor and one enclosed sand volleyball courts
- Indoor children’s play structure
- Meeting rooms – five rooms at 30-60 capacity that can be combined into larger spaces for additional capacity
- Office space – nine offices between 100-140 square feet available to rent at affordable rates
- Workspace Center – space available to rent by the day (desk, monitors, internet)
- Coffee shop in the reception area
- Event Lawn
The CCLC will use passes instead of a typical membership model. Individuals will be able to purchase a pass or package of passes for use of the different amenities (i.e. pool, courts) in addition to rental of specific rooms/locations. This structure will allow flexibility for the community to focus their interests without an exclusive membership fee creating a barrier to the underserved. The CCLC is for everyone.
Yes! There will be a six-lane, 25-yard competition swimming pool and a smaller adjacent pool for therapy and swim lessons. The three primary functions are lap swim, swim lessons, and aquatic therapy. It will be available for private/group rental and will have open hours for those with pool subscriptions or passes. High Schools or clubs will have the opportunity to use the pool for swim teams. The pool will be initially constructed uncovered, but the plan is to enclose it with an open-air covered option as soon as funding is secured.
Yes, the gym rental will be available to schools, clubs, and the community. With the limited gym space in the valley, school, clubs, and AAU teams will be able to practice and play in the new regulation-sized indoor court. We would love to see Lake Chelan host some of the largest tournaments in the region.
Yes! The auditorium is large enough to host a wide variety of events. It has a capacity for 500-700 as a tabled event. It will also include a full audio/visual setup for sound and a projector/screen, a commercial kitchen on site, and a variety of multi-purpose rooms that could be used for set-up such as a Bridal Room. The 1,028 square foot Event Room is also available to host special events with a capacity for 68-146 people, depending on the event type. This room includes direct access to the commercial kitchen and event lawn.
It will be in a 900 square foot room that will allow children to have a safe and comfortable place to play year-round and give parents the opportunity to enjoy a cup of coffee or tea while they keep an eye on their little ones.
Funding
The CCLC will be for everyone in our community, a centralized service hub that connects people, resources, and activities to each other in ways that enhance the quality of life in Lake Chelan Valley. We are asking for support from those in our community who have financial capacity so that we can provide this resource for everyone.
See how our Core Values align with yours:
- Service: We promote volunteerism as a way of life. We will host Volunteer Fairs and actively work to ensure the community is encouraged to get involved and help residents find organizations with which to engage.
- Connection: We will be a tool to help connect individuals, non-profits, and businesses. Our office, meeting, and event spaces will help foster connection through the organizations we bring together. Our facility will allow space for the amazing nonprofits around the Lake Chelan Valley to come together.
- Relationships: It is so important to build healthy families and friendships. Using the power of community, we will help our region establish, sustain, and grow relationships. We will host opportunities for the organizations that use the facility to network and best work together for the common good of all.
- Wellness: We equip people to grow strong in body, mind, and spirit. The CCLC campus will have a wide variety of wellness opportunities for physical activity, educational growth, and fulfillment.
- Compassion: We want to help meet the needs of the unserved and underserved. It drives our core planning. In times of crisis, people will be able to find temporary shelter in the CCLC.
It’s easy! Go to https://sevenacres.givingfire.com/ to make an online donation. You can learn more about the different levels of giving here.
Email [email protected] or simply mail donation to P.O. Box 1732 Chelan, WA. 98816
Yes! We would love the opportunity to show our appreciation for your donation through a naming opportunity. Please contact Raye Evans at [email protected] to discuss further.
Brick sponsorship starts at just $150, see the opportunities here.
Naming opportunities for rooms or elements of the facility start at $25,000. See the opportunities here.
We are in the process of applying to a variety of public and private foundations for the capital campaign. Adding to the support of private individuals, they are critical to the success of the campaign. To date, we have been awarded grants from the State of Washington Department of Commerce, State of Washington Building Communities Fund, Tom & Meg Names Family Foundation, Names Family Foundation, Murdock Charitable Trust, and Oscar & Elsa Mayer Family Foundation.
Do you have a foundation that CCLC could be a good fit for? Please contact Raye Evans at [email protected] to discuss further.
We fully expect the funds to be raised. Our contingency plan is to evaluate reducing the scope of the building and consider construction in multiple phases based on the availability of funding. We also expect to utilize construction loans based on the pledged funding, but for obvious reasons, we intend to keep the debt service on the CCLC as minimal as possible, and manage our pro-forma to a net zero as a non-profit seeking betterment for our community.
We’ve had several fundraising events over the last year and these efforts continue. For example, the Foundation partnered with KOZI radio for a “Raise the Roof” campaign in June and there is an on-site Hard Hat Tour in the planning stages for late summer.
Raye Evans, the Executive Director of the Seven Acres Foundation, monitors and regularly posts updates on the Seven Acres Foundation website. We also have an email newsletter that sends monthly updates directly to your inbox. To sign up please visit https://ccatlakechelan.org/ (sign up at the bottom of the page).
Who is served/affiliations
Compassion is a core value at CCLC. We are developing partnerships and programs that enhance the lives of disadvantaged kids and people in our community. The CCLC is a venue with affordable space for partners and service organizations that work to help the disadvantaged throughout the city and region in a variety of ways. Being a hub for services, the CCLC will also be an accessible destination where people can receive multiple support services in one location. Check out our partner page to learn about the many ways this building will serve.
For example, CCLC partner Thrive serves youth in our community and we are very excited for them to host their Teen Center at the CCLC which will include a warm meal and a safe place to relax and connect. CCLC partner RealLife Church will host a yearly oil change event for single moms and provides backpacks and school supplies to kids. These are just two examples.
We are also taking consideration of the limited, or lack of, funds available to disadvantaged kids and their families as we develop the CCLC’s detailed operations model (i.e. swimming lessons and passes, event space for personal/family gatherings). These plans are in development and will include scholarship opportunities.
Yes, definitely. The CCLC will encourage Hispanic/Latino participation and leadership. For example, ideas being discussed include facilitating English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, hiring an interpreter for the facility, and cultivating unique partnerships. The Lake Chelan Chamber of Commerce have partnered with the SAF in a direct effort to enhance the bi-lingual platform, education, and engagement of our community.
Construction
Our community has been wanting and trying to fulfil the dream of a Community Center for many years. As planning for the CCLC began to take shape in 2017, we used that community interest and support to drive making the project a reality! We broke ground on October 20, 2020 and expect to begin construction in Spring 2021.
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the timeline for the CCLC through delays in coordinating construction and business affairs as well as impact on private funding. We are very grateful to all those who’ve continued to support the CCLC in 2020, but it is clear that the fundraising for this project will take a bit longer than expected before the pandemic. We are projecting the CCLC will open Summer 2022.
Soils at the construction site are too moist for ideal compaction. Plans were never to start on the building until 2021. We have a good start for leveling the site in the spring.
Rimmer & Roeter Construction is our primary contractor. We are also working with Complete Design (architect & structural engineer), GCH (campus layout & landscape design), Torrence Engineering (civil engineer).
We anticipate minimal disruption, if any. Highway access is established from Bighorn Way. Water and Sewer is established to property.
Sustainability
Our ongoing business model is sustainable with earned revenue from the facility rentals and program fees. Yet as any non-profit, additional support is always appreciated! Sponsors, donors, and grants will supplement our earned revenue and allow for sustainable security with strategic reserves, successful events, and program expansion to increase our impact.
We have developed a detailed pro forma budget outlining our first five years and how we will balance our earned revenue through facility rentals and program fees to offset our expenses. If you are interested in learning more about our business model, please contact Raye Evans.
The Operations Committee is meeting regularly to establish the policies and procedures of the CCLC.
As part of the capital campaign we are looking for sponsors to support the construction of the CCLC, which can be done with a one-time gift or multi-year sponsorship.
Long term, our business model is sustainable, yet as any non-profit, sponsors are always appreciated! Sponsors, donors and grants will supplement our earned revenue and allow for sustainable security with strategic reserves, successful events, and program expansion to increase our impact. If you are interested in learning more about becoming a sponsor, please contact Raye Evans, or visit http://sevenacresfoundation.org/fundraising/.
Our plan for sustainability is to have a swimming pool that balances earned revenue from individual subscriptions, private rentals, classes, and swim teams to cover the full operating expense. We also have maintenance support from a local donor to offset expenses. A community pool is so critical to the Lake Chelan Valley that we are prepared to mitigate any additional expense through fundraising. We need this resource; our children need this resource.