$10K raised at Youth Center event

“We had a really good turnout,” Catmull said. The live auction by auctioneer Dave Griffith, which involved about six items, raised $3,500.

Including cash contributions and the value of the donated 2.5-acre plot of land on West Seventh, the project has just over $1 million, said Catmull. “We have a long way to go, but we’re very hopeful.”

He thanked Todd Carpenter and Carla McQuade, owners of the Last Stop, for hosting the fundraiser. “Todd and Carla from the Last Stop were just freakin’ amazing,” he said.

Initial plans for the Gorge Youth Center—the longtime dream of Joe Martin, who runs an after-school program for kids—called for building in phases.

But now, the plan is to build the entire center at once. “We’ve been advised that if you’re going to do this, go big or go home,” Catmull said.

The three-story youth center would include a walking track, soccer, basketball court, a three-story jungle gym for all ages, robotics, mini golf, exercise areas, libraries, music studio, practice rooms, auditorium, banquet rooms, meeting rooms, classrooms, viewing deck, food service, two commercial kitchens, and much more.

Catmull said the number one question he gets about the project is whether taxpayers will pay for it. The answer is no, since it will be built with private funds. Enough money has been raised to begin seeking contributions from foundations and grant funders.

Catmull said he was raised in The Dalles “and back in the 70s and 80s we had things. We had two bowling allies, we had two movie theaters, we had skating rinks.

“There’s none of that now. We want to create a spot that people up and down the Gorge will come to.”

Since March, Youth Center proponents have been hosting a lunch every Tuesday from 12-1 for anybody interested in learning about the project. Usually, the five or so attendees end up picking up the lunch tab.

Catmull said the lunches have been helpful in getting the word out.

He said the Youth Center has spent some money on a feasibility plan to ensure the center can pay for itself and be sustainable.