North Webster Community Center is a nonprofit organization that has owned the old North Webster school building for the past 10 years and created the center’s place as the heart of the community
(Photo by Martha Stoelting)

It is hard to believe that the North Webster Community Center has been serving the community and surrounding areas for 10 years. It has come a long way since a group of citizens refused to let this great old building go to waste. It took two years of planning and renovations to bring the center to life and in 2004 the doors opened.

To celebrate the center’s 10th anniversary, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 23, there will be a karate demonstration, kids carnival with a variety of games, activities, bounce houses and face painting. Cost for this event is $1 for 10 tickets, each game is one ticket and $5 for face painting from Mystic Brush. At 2 p.m. there will be a laser light show in the gymnasium. Admission for the light show is a non-perishable food item for the North Webster Food pantry.

During the event, North Webster Community Public Library will be having story time with crafts while the Senior Primelife Enrichment Center will be having an open house with punch, cookies and a variety of card games that you can participate in, The Cake Lady will be passing out yummy samples and the YMCA will be having an open house from 10 a.m-noon that day. The newest tenant, Fitnessentials, will have a DoTerra Oil presentation for those interested in learning more. There will be a grand re-opening of the art room that day and the artwork from the summer’s Imagination Project will be on display. Concessions will be provided by JP Concessions.

During the past decade, it has been home to a variety of businesses and continues to be home to the North Webster Community Public Library, Tippecanoe Watershed Foundation, Lakeland Regional Sewer District, the YMCA, the Senior Primelife Enrichment Center (SPEC), Fitnessentials and The Cake Lady.

It has offered a variety of activities and classes for all ages during this time and continue to bring new programming to the center. This summer we offered cooking classes with The Cake Lady, gymnastics and Romp & Roll with Nika Prather, pickleball, viper wrestling, dance classes from Deb Collier’s instructors, cheerleading camp with instructors from Midwest Xtreme, volleyball, rugby and jewelry making classes. Upcoming programs for fall and winter will be posted on the website in the next few weeks. Check www.nwcommunitycenter.org to keep up on what’s happening.

Also, this year’s annual Heart of the Community Charity Auction and Raffle will be Saturday evening, Oct. 4, and the center is pleased to announce that The Cake Lady will be providing the meal, including dessert at this year’s event. Tickets go on sale Saturday at the North Webster Community Center during Dixie Day.