Seven Acres Foundation officially breaks ground on Community Center at Lake Chelan

CHELAN – “Two major advancements have now taken place as we make a huge leap forward to provide our area’s well-deserving residents with a world-class facility.  It’s nearly impossible to explain just how thrilled we all are.  Many, many people on our board and in the local community have rallied together to make this happen,”  so said Ben Williams, Board Chairman of the Seven Acres Foundation, which is developing the Community Center at Lake Chelan (CCLC).
The first development Williams referred to is the CCLC’s official groundbreaking, which recently took place on Tuesday, Oct. 20, in a ceremony held at the new facility’s site on Bighorn Way, just below The Lookout housing development.  The event, which was unfortunately closed to the general public due to the Coronavirus pandemic, was attended by Seven Acres Board members, future business and non-profit tenants of the facility, the general contractor (Rimmer & Roeter) and other professional service providers, news media, large donors, and community leaders.  With an excavator and bulldozer serving as a backdrop, Mr. Williams kicked off the event by speaking to the gathering, saying “although we’re obviously elated to put shovels into the ground to begin construction of the Community Center at Lake Chelan (CCLC), it’s a shame we couldn’t make this a public event for our entire community.  That was our intention all along because this truly is your facility, but we decided against doing that given the current COVID-19 situation.  But I want to emphasize how much we appreciate everyone’s incredible enthusiasm and support, and we know you’ll be proud of the Community Center we’re building and planning to open next Spring or Summer.”  Williams added that all necessary permits have now been received, and thus earthwork will begin immediately to level the site for the next phase of construction.
Following his opening remarks, Mr. Williams announced the second major advancement by introducing Seven Acres board member, Brooke Isaak, who along with her husband, Scott, recently made an exceptionally generous donation of $1 million in cash to help construct the CCLC.  Describing themselves as “high school sweethearts who met on a basketball court,” the couple has deep roots in the Chelan Valley area.  Born and raised in Manson, Brooke Steveson was active in high school sports and clubs, and was honored to serve her senior year as the Manson Apple Blossom Queen.  She also was instrumental in leading the mentoring program for Thrive Chelan Valley.  Scott originally hailed from Coulee City, where he co-managed the generational farm with his family, producing wheat, canola and raising cattle.  He also created a highly successful niche business selling straw to mushroom farmers in Canada.  The Isaaks have raised seven children together, ranging in age from 12 to 27 years old.
When asked why they decided to make such an enormous contribution, the central theme from both Brooke and Scott was giving back to their community and inspiring others to do so as well.  Brooke said “I just feel incredibly blessed to have grown up in the Chelan area, a community that has provided so very much to me.  It’s given me my roots and the foundation of who I am as a person. For our family, this is our way of saying ‘thank you’ to the community that’s had such a huge impact on our lives.”  Scott said they were originally going to make their donation anonymously, but decided to go public mainly to encourage others.  “Brooke and I just felt this was something we needed to do.  We wanted to show good stewardship of the financial situation we’ve been blessed with.  Our job is to not just sit on our money, but to find ways to pay it forward for the good of others. What a wonderful tool the Community Center will be for kids, families, small businesses, non-profits, you name it.  We are very grateful and humbled to be a part of this,” he added.
In summarizing the current situation, Mr. Williams concluded “it’s been quite a remarkable last few days for everyone connected with this project, most importantly our area residents.  Yes, the CCLC is happening, folks.  It’s now full speed ahead.  And regarding the donation from the Isaaks, I’m simply at a loss for words.  There is generous, and then there’s overwhelmingly generous that Brooke and Scott have shown.  We are so incredibly grateful for the love they’ve extended to all of us.”
To learn more about or donate to the Community Center at Lake Chelan, please go to www.ccatlakechelan.org or contact Raye Evans, Executive Director of the Seven Acres Foundation at raye@sevenacresfoundation.org.