Program raises money for rec center

Children from the Portales Recreation Center are the focus of a community service project being done by the 2016 Leadership Portales class.

The class will host a scholarship awards ceremony at 5 p.m. Wednesday at the rec. center for children participating in the recreational activities, according to Roosevelt County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Karl Terry.

Terry said the ceremony is the “culmination of the project fundraiser” for the 2015-16 Leadership Portales group.

“Any family that has kids utilizing the rec. center, we’re inviting them to come out,” said Terry, adding that last year’s Leadership Portales group raised money for children unable to participate in recreational activities because of increased prices at the rec. center.

Roosevelt County Treasurer Layle Sanchez was in charge of fundraising for this year’s project. She said the fundraising began after the group sent out an online survey to community members asking what they felt needed to improve.

The results showed children in the community were being under served, she added.

Applications for financial scholarships to help pay for the rec. center’s after-school program were sent to Leadership Portales by families, explaining their financial circumstances, she said, with a total of $6,892 being awarded to families, adding that the group far surpassed their goal of $5,000.

All the money was donated by local Portales businesses.

The money will benefit 52 elementary school children participating in recreation center programs throughout the year, including after-school programs and sports activities, which include volleyball, football, cheer and soccer, according to Sanchez.

“We had enough money to give half of what they asked for to everyone ” she said. Extra amounts will be given to families with larger needs, such as those who have more children or have had a death in the family.

“We know that our kids are being well taken care of,” she said. “They’re learning so many things about life skills.”

The scholarships will be given to children already participating in programs, according to Sanchez, with the Recreation Center offering payment flexibility to families already enrolled.

“The rec. center said they would work with us knowing that these scholarships would be coming,” said Sanchez.

Terry said during Leadership Portales’ three years, class projects have included raising money to improve the Steiner Soccer Field as well as the work done with the rec. center.

“It’s a group of community members who get a hands on behind-the-scenes look at all of our businesses in the community,” said Sanchez. “The insight that the team members will get is bar none.”