Oct 03, 2017

Frontline Outreach Youth and Family Center Opens Doors to Renovated Gym

After nearly six months of renovation, Frontline Outreach Youth and Family Center opened the doors to “version 2.0” of its gymnasium in a Tuesday morning dedication event at the facility, located near the corner of Orange Center Boulevard and John Young Parkway, in the shadow of Camping World Stadium.

Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer praised the teamwork shown during the gymnasium renovation, calling it, “what Central Florida and Orlando are all about.”

The program started with a ribbon-cutting featuring donors and leaders from around Central Florida, followed by an indoor ceremony, during which Bishop Allen Wiggins recognized the people and organizations who helped make the effort possible.

“We know that we cannot do it alone, and it’s going to take a full-court press,” Wiggins, senior pastor of The Hope Church and chairman of the board at Frontline Outreach, told attendees at the event. “If we’re going to transform this community, it takes all hands on deck.”

Wiggins also described the impact the updated court and gymnasium would have on the children and families who use it.

“When we say full-court press, we’re talking about affecting the soul, the mind, and the body,” Wiggins noted. “And every day we’re here we try to demonstrate in a way where our posture will be infectious, that the youths that we serve will know how to act, they’ll know what to believe, they’ll know where to put their faith.”

That sentiment was echoed by Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer, one of several speakers to address the crowd in the sparkling new building.

Bishop Allen Wiggins (left) recognized LIFT Orlando and LIFT board member Tom Sittema (right) for their contributions.

“I’m so proud to be here this morning, and when I hear every speaker talk about partnership, that’s what Central Florida and Orlando are all about,” Dyer said. “We’re so much better and stronger when we’re together and collaborating, and this is evidence of it right here.”

For its part, Florida Citrus Sports donated $100,000 toward the renovation and the continued operation of Frontline Outreach, one of Orlando’s oldest early childhood education and recreational facilities, and its logo will be featured at midcourt in the new gymnasium.

“We’re glad to be a part of this,” former Florida Citrus Sports chairman Harold Mills said Tuesday. “We’re glad to support to this mission, and we’re glad to be a part of this community. This is our home, too, and we’re glad to have been a part of it for the past 70 years — and we think this investment will help us continue to do that for the next 70 years, too.”

Former Florida Citrus Sports chairman Harold Mills said the organization’s investment is about more than renovating a basketball court.

However, Mills also stressed that the organization’s donation was about far more than simply sprucing up a basketball court.

“We are aligned with your vision and your team, and we know, as you said, that this isn’t about paint on the walls or a new court on the floor,” Mills said, addressing Wiggins during his presentation. “This is about investing in the community.

“We know this is a place where children can come and learn and children can come and play and be healthy, but it’s also a place where parents can come get the resources they need to enhance their lives,” Mills continued. “It’s a place where communities can come together, neighbors can come together and convene and support each other and be with each other and befriend each other … and Frontline Outreach has become an anchor for that.

“Together, we’ve both partnered with some incredible individuals, some incredible families, and some incredible neighborhoods from this community,” Mills added. “And that’s who we’re really here to celebrate today.”

Check out a gallery of images from the Frontline Outreach gymnasium ribbon-cutting and dedication event below:

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