Midland Community Center facts for kids
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| non-profit | |
| Industry | Recreation |
| Founded | 1919 (Midland) |
| Headquarters |  Midland, Michigan |
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Area served
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Midland County, Michigan |
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Key people
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Kristen McDonald, CEO Kevin Heye, Executive Director |
| Products | Recreation |
The Midland Community Center (MCC) is a huge building in Midland, Michigan. It's about 200,000 square feet, which is like having four football fields stacked on top of each other! This center offers many fun activities and ways for people to learn and grow. It's a place for everyone in the community to enjoy sports, hobbies, and social events.
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History of the MCC
The Midland Community Center first opened its doors on January 14, 1919. It started with the very first bowling alley in Midland. Over time, the center added more and more sports and activities. Soon, people could play basketball, handball, volleyball, table tennis, pickleball, archery, tennis, and softball. The MCC quickly became a popular spot for fun and games.
The main building you see today was officially opened on October 30, 1955. It cost $1.5 million to build, and the money was given by the Dow Chemical Company. Since then, the center has been made bigger several times. In the 1960s, there was even an indoor rifle range, but it closed in the 1970s.
In 2005, the locker rooms at the MCC got a big makeover. The old lockers had been used for fifty years! New family and adult sections were added, and everything was updated. Also in 2005, a lot of people visited the MCC. About 900,000 visits were recorded that year. This means around 2,465 people used the center every single day!
A Bigger Family: Greater Midland Community Centers
In 2005, a new group called the Greater Midland Community Centers, Inc. (GMCC) was created. This group helps guide and support five different recreation centers in Midland County, including the Midland Community Center.
The GMCC announced a big plan to raise $5.1 million. This money was meant to "make life better for people in Midland." Many local charities and businesses helped by donating money. More than half of this money was used to create an "outdoor campus" at the MCC.
Expanding Outdoors
Midland can get very cold, with about 141 days below freezing each year. Because of this, the MCC used to focus mostly on indoor activities. But a $2.5 million expansion in 2008 changed that!
Part of the plan was to create new outdoor spaces. This included moving some houses and building a new parking area. They also added an outdoor running track, outdoor basketball courts, and a fun playscape for kids. Walking and biking trails were also made on what is now a 12-acre campus.
To make room for these new areas, a street called George Street was closed. It became the driveway to the new parking lot. A new entrance was built on Jefferson Avenue, making it easier for people to get dropped off. All these changes were finished in late 2008. In 2009, the MCC celebrated 90 years of serving the community.
Programs and Activities
The Midland Community Center offers a wide variety of activities for everyone. They have classes for both kids and adults, drop-in sessions, and sports leagues.
Inside, you can enjoy swimming, basketball, volleyball, pickleball, gymnastics, and curling. Outside, they organize sports like flag football with the Midland Parks and Recreation department.
If you like art, the MCC also has fine arts programs. You can take art lessons, learn to sing or play an instrument, and even take dance classes.
For those who want to stay active, there are special fitness activities. These include fencing, martial arts (like karate and judo), Yoga, non-contact boxing, billiards, table tennis, pickleball, and badminton.
How the MCC is Funded
The United Way of Midland County helps a lot with funding the MCC. For example, in 2009, the United Way gave over $600,000 to the center for different programs. This money helped support education, health, and self-sufficiency programs. The MCC also gets help from local companies that support specific programs and free activities.
The Crossroads Deli
In June 2010, a food place called the Crossroads Deli opened inside the MCC. It was the first time the center had its own food service. The deli was run by someone who had trained to be a chef. However, the deli is now closed.
