MAR. 22, 2022 — For nearly 80 years, the Lyons Community Center has been a cornerstone resource in the community.
From youth indoor soccer to seniors’ pickleball, kids’ basketball to Red Cross blood drives, funeral and memorial services to Boy Scout meetings, and from Pee Wee Wrestling to quilting and craft fairs — the LCC has hosted any and every event the community needed it to.
And for many of those years, the LCC has worked hard to make ends meet thanks to generous donations and ambitious fundraising efforts. It has not always been easy, said Keith Bridger, the LCC’s Board President, and the Center has long been looking for an opportunity to increase stability and keep growing as a community resource.
Now, the Lyons Central School District is formally partnering with the Community Center to start a new chapter in the LCC’s long legacy: The physical facility at 9 Manhattan St. has been donated to the school district. The Center itself — the leadership, programming, day-to-day operations — will remain the same.
“This is a joint decision between the Lyons Central School District and the Community Center,” said Mr. Bridger. “It’s a workable solution to handle the costs of running the Center while continuing and expanding all the activities and resources the community has grown to expect from this facility.”
Mr. Bridger, who has served on the LCC’s board since 2010, said he felt that Lyons Superintendent Dr. Matthew Barr and the current School Board members are the right group of people to make this transition with.
“Dr. Barr is an asset to this community in more ways than one,” Mr. Bridger said. “He’s fostered this agreement, which allows us to maintain our presence in this building with much greater support. Nothing changes.”
Dr. Barr said the LCC has long been a tremendous asset to the district, and it was important to ensure that the district in turn helps support its long-term stability and viability.
“One of our priorities at the Lyons Central School District is maximizing our resources,” Dr. Barr said. “Being able to receive this donation of this wonderful building that our community has supported over the years is really going to help us provide more additional opportunities for our students and our community moving forward.”
Cesar Ortiz, the LCC’s director and only full-time employee, said he’s seen the Center go through good times and bad. Partnering with the school district certainly marks the beginning of a very good time in the Center’s history, as the union will give the LCC greater financial stability and the chance to seek new grants and funding opportunities typically available to schools and educational institutions.
“This is an exciting new chapter for the Center,” Mr. Ortiz said. “It’s given us the ability to expand what we can offer, and now the opportunities are endless. I think Dr. Barr has a vision — I know he does — and he’s going to be championing that vision.”
Much of the Center’s programming brings in little to no money. Youth soccer, tee-ball, wrestling and other sporting activities typically charge small enrollment fees. And the Center very often opens its doors to organizations like the Red Cross, Boy and Girl Scout troops, 21st Century Community Learning Centers and other charitable or non-profit groups for free.
Mr. Ortiz has worked for the LCC since 1989, when he was a 16-year-old student at Lyons working part-time behind the candy counter and in the tech center.
In his 33 years with the Center, he’s seen many ups and downs. This new partnership is a milestone he’s thrilled to celebrate.
“It’s a great fit. It’s what we were designed for — to provide opportunities for our community,” Mr. Ortiz said. “I really think bridging those opportunities together at this time has been a great fit, and I look forward to working with all those entities. I look forward to working with Dr. Barr and the rest of the staff over at Lyons Central School District.”