Clearwater Coalition Fights Closure of MLK Community Center
Concerned citizens won't let the MLK Community Center legacy die even though the City of Clearwater says it no longer has the funds to keep it open. Three generations have utilized the center resources which have helped keep the kids off the streets and provide them with the foundation they need for successful, drug free lives.
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL (1888PressRelease) March 04, 2012 - "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter," said Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Citizens from Clearwater have taken that message to heart and have formed a coalition to reopen the doors of the MLK Jr. Community Center in the North Greenwood area that was closed in December 2011 due to cancellation of funding from the City of Clearwater.
"That center stands for our community. It's been here since the 70's, providing a place for our kids to go after school, offering tutoring programs and activities that kept the kids off the streets. My sister even got married there as did a lot of our friends. I want to see that Center reopened," said Magnolia Green, a Coalition Member.
Magnolia is not alone. More than 300 people showed up at the fundraiser held on Saturday to share memories of three generations of hope, inspiration, education and social programs the Center has provided to their community - a legacy they are committed to seeing continue.
The fundraiser dinner and event was held in the elegant auditorium of the Church of Scientology's Fort Harrison which was provided as a venue for the Coalition at no charge.
"North Greenwood is less than a mile from our doors. The Church of Scientology considers it an honor to be part of this event and to do our small part in helping to preserve an important part of the history of our neighbors," said Pat Harney, Public Affairs Director for the Scientology international religious retreat in downtown Clearwater. "We recognize the need to preserve the legacy of Dr. King that is the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center - not just as a building but more importantly as the philosophy for which Dr. King stood - the philosophy of non-violence and love. This is a philosophy that was shared by our founder, L. Ron Hubbard."
It was an evening of uplifting memories from athletes, college students and business professionals on how the Center provided them with some of the essential foundation they needed in their youth to succeed in their lives. It was also an evening of sad and dear memories of Shelly Leonard, the 38 yr old single mother who initially spearheaded the coalition, and who died of complications from her treatment for oral cancer just two weeks before.
Van Farber, her closest friend, shared how Shelly was tiny, a mere 4' 8" tall, but the stature of her heart and voice knew no bounds. Van reminisced how Shelly stood up at a City of Clearwater chamber meeting and made that voice heard for the MLK Community Center.
The city representatives said that State funding had dried up so they had to make cuts. They chose to cut the MLK Center. Shelly was not going to let this slide. She got up and said, "The State has $48 million to build a Taj Mahal court house with 22 miles of imported mahogany to try our kids in, and approved $28 million for new jail cells to put them in. But they can't find a couple of hundred thousand for the MLK Community Center that keeps our kids out of the courts and jail cells? "
According to Wade Clark, Coalition President and first African American graduate of St. Petersburg police academy in 1965, the Center needs $250,000 in the next year to re-open its doors and get it operating again. This includes $150,000 to replace the roof and air conditioner, with the balance going to operating expenses. Wade said initially, when the Center reopens, it will be manned by volunteers, and they plan to bring on grant writers to help with future funding.
Marva McWhite, past St. Petersburg NAACP President and Clearwater resident since 1962, expressed the importance of the Center in her life as well as to the community. "The Center was our meeting place. I used to mentor there. That center has been a great resource for us for the youth. Many youth programs were going on like computer programs. The services at the community center gave children an edge in some areas in school, sports, future business, and helped some of them keep up. It helped nurture families. It gave a sense of community, of community coming together. It also helped connect them with MLK values."
An MLK Memorial is planned for the Center when it reopens. There will be a wall of tiles built right into the structure of the Center with quotes from Dr. King, each including an acknowledgement of the person(s) who donated the tile. Van Farber made a $500 donation in Shelly Leonard's name for the tile that will include the MLK quote: "The quality, not the longevity, of one's life is what is important."
To find out more about the MLK Community Center, participate in the coalition or to donate, visit http://savethemlkcenter.bbnow.org/about.php or call 727-678-5277.
Press Contacts:
Van Farber
727-729-6887
Milton James
727-475-0030
To find out more about the MLK Community Center, participate in the coalition or to donate, visit http://savethemlkcenter.bbnow.org/about.php or call 727-678-5277.
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