The Core cuts ribbon on new community center named The Cube
SCOTTSVILLE, Ky. – It started over eight years ago as a dream, and now it’s a reality. Over the last six weeks, members of the Scottsville community have gotten to know The Core community center, and now future Allen Countians will simply say “I’m going to The Cube.”
The idea started when The Core’s executive director Ernie Stafford noticed something about their current space.
“We had a track inside there, so the classes had music and everything blaring. You had coaches trying to coach, and when you got a track above the gym and you got little kids trying to be coached, first thing they’re doing, their eyes are looking up… and all the people and music going wild… and I said when I walked in and seen that, I was like ‘There’s no way I would coach in this environment,’ so I went to the board, approached them about it, and they got on board,” he says.
From then on, it was all about gathering funding, which Stafford says was a bit difficult at first until a local nonprofit stepped in to help them out.
“Then I approached Catherine with the Turner family and we got Halton Company involved here and BelMark Corp… they come all on board and, BelMark’s not even open in Allen County yet, and they were all for helping donate to this need because the Turner family had gave $1 million match,” Stafford says.
The first six weeks they’ve been open have been pretty busy, with over 18,000 people using the building during a four day volleyball tournament.
Staff hope this is a center that everyone can use, not just in their community but all around the area.
“We want to overlap every circle, in every social circle, every athletic club, every group. Get them under one building. It’s going to build the community better,” Cole Arvin, the Cube’s Youth Sports and Facility Director says.
“This is a true community center, and the folks that live on the south side of Warren County. it’s accessible to them much quicker than going into Bowling Green or the other side. So it is a regional impact,” Katherine Sikora with the Laura Goad Turner Charitable Foundation adds.
It’s a sentimental project for the Foundation as well. Sikora’s grandfather, Dollar General founder Cal Turner, was part of the beginning of this journey back in 2000.
“Their first ribbon cutting at then the YMCA was the last thing that he saw happen before he passed away… and if he knew the impact that one of the very first things that we have supported has done for the last 26 years, that is humbling and what our philanthropy is all about, just making our life better, even if it is just one at a time… and the other part is just very emotional for me,” she says.
