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$30,000 grant keeps REPS recreation center from closing www.hometownlife.com

By Diane Gale Andreassi Staff Writer

REPS Youth and Community Center received a $30,000 grant last week to help pay unpaid bills, which threatened to shut down the nonprofit organization. The Lloyd and Mabel Johnson Foundation, based in Brighton, sent the money Friday. “This will help them, at least right now, to get caught up in what they have in arrears,” said Gordon Kummer, foundation president. “It's a place for people to go after school and weekends, and it's far better to have them involved in things like that rather than who knows what on the streets. I've liked what they're doing there. I like the way they run things. The mission of our foundation is to reduce human suffering and enrich the quality of life through health and education services.” This grant “enables us, with additional fundraisers, to focus on serving the youth of the community and families,” said Troy Weidman, REPS executive director. Other revenue for REPS was generated by a golf outing last month that raised $11,500. “We had approximately 35 to 40 more golfers than we had the previous year,” Weidman said. Another money generator will be the upcoming REPS community rummage sale from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 11-12 and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 13. Active Faith members are invited to attend a preview sale Oct. 10 when items will be discounted for these families in need. Residents are asked to donate clothes, bicycles, toys, furniture, sporting goods and “any items that they might donate to a clothes bank,” Weidman said. “Think about typical items you would put in a garage sale. One hundred percent of the proceeds go to REPS. We are providing donation receipts and folks can get tax deductions.” Donations will be accepted from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 6. Meanwhile, a survey is under way, gauging the interest in a recreation community center in the South Lyon area. Weidman doesn't see a potential municipal recreation center as competition to REPS. He said he recently met with South Lyon City Manager Dave Murphy “and we fully support it,” Weidman said. “We are here in anyway they would like us to help. We can certainly look to help and provide contacts.” In fact, Weidman added, REPS can serve as a place to pilot program ideas for the center “as they assess their needs and demands. There are a lot of needs here with how many kids we have.” “I haven't seen community centers with baseball cages like ours,” Weidman said. “We don't have a pool, and I think our community really needs a pool. It's determining the holes in the community and filling those needs. Our purpose is to be a catalyst. If this community gets a full blown rec. and community center, and if we can help do that, it would be great.” REPS's drop-in rates run $3-$5 to use the baseball tunnels. A monthly membership is $20. The center tries to keep Page 1 of 2

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http://www.hometownlife.com/article/20120927/NEWS19/209270409&SearchID=73478136290481 rates nominal to remain affordable for young people to have a place to go, according to Weidman. There was an 11 percent usage increase compared to last year and more than 100 percent growth in 2010, he added. More than 8,000 people visited REPS the first six months of 2012. In an effort to boost interest even more, REPS began offering new classes, including boxing conditioning, boot camp fitness, weight loss and wellness programs, Zumba, yoga and aerobics. The facility also offers softball and baseball instruction by Division I college coaches, as well as volleyball camp and team practices. Active Faith also provides “at need families” with REPS membership. For more information about REPS visit www.repscenter.com or call (248) 486-5585. The center is located at 521 N. Mill St. in South Lyon. [email protected] (248) 437-2011, Ext. 262

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