DICKSON CITY, Pa. — >>> Lee esta noticia en Español <<<
While the gym may look empty now, Kayla Sweeney says she grew up coming here at the Dickson City Civic Center. Saying it's full of good childhood memories.
"We keep the orange and black as our traditional Dickson City thing," Sweeney said.
She's not the only one who grew up on this basketball court.
"I don't think it's changed much. I remember the rubber court, the two sets of lines. Not many changes," added Brendan Kucharcki, a civic center volunteer.
And now, as grownups, they notice that children in Lackawanna County aren't using the Civic Center the same way they did as kids.
"It's kind of like that safe net place where you could get away and not get in trouble and be active around the community," said Kucharcki.
They agree this public gym has the potential to help people in the community the way it benefited Sweeney years ago and now.
"I was teaching, and I was a cheerleading coach, and I've done a whole bunch of things up until becoming a facility director at this point," she said.
That's where the Dickson Days come in—a fundraiser for nonprofits, such as the Dickson City Day Civic Center and a dozen other organizations trying to stay alive for the next generation.
"I'm just giving back my time as much as they've given me here," Kucharcki said.
Last year, the dozens of businesses that participated split almost $30,000 of funds raised from the community, from the Dickson City Day Civic Center to the American Legion and churches in the area.
"Any of the funding that's through events like Dickson Days helps us to fund all of our programs," Sweeney explained.
The two-day event held at the park on Elm Street is a fundraiser and a way to bring the community into the doors of other nonprofits they may not know about.
"It makes people aware that, hey, we're here in the neighborhood if you don't know you're here. Plus, it gives us the funding that we need and allows us to interact with us more to learn about the programs that we have," said Judie Senkow-Richards, president of the American Legion Post #665.
Organizers say the funds raised help finance crucial programs for nonprofits in Lackawanna County.
"It's constant interaction with the organizations. We need constant volunteers and donations and things like that to keep any type of volunteer organization running," said Debbie Borusiewicz, Dickson Days volunteer.
Dickson Days will take over Bernard Seminiski Park on Friday and Saturday afternoons.
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