Lake Chelan Community Center completes $2 million matching challenge

CHELAN — The Lake Chelan Community Center has reached a major fundraising milestone, successfully completing a $2 million matching challenge and closing out the year with a surge of community support.

The match was fulfilled on New Year’s Eve, capping a fourth quarter marked by steady momentum that included daily online donations, a sold-out Golden Hour Gala, and broad participation from donors motivated by the opportunity to have their contributions doubled.

Launched in early October, the matching fund was made possible through the generosity of Tim and Kristy Turner and quickly became a catalyst for giving across the Chelan Valley and beyond.

During the matching period, 142 individuals, families and organizations made a total of 154 contributions through online campaigns, event giving, mailed donations and personal outreach efforts.

“This was never about one gift,” said Brooke Isaak, president of the board for the Seven Acres Foundation and the Lake Chelan Community Center. “It was about participation—people at every level seeing an opportunity to make their generosity go further and stepping forward together.”

That collective effort culminated in the final days of the year when the Tom and Meg Names Foundation stepped in to close the remaining gap and ensure the full match was realized.

“The decision to complete the match came from the same place our support has always come from,” said Erin Shagren, a board member and representative of the Tom and Meg Names Foundation. “We believe deeply in this community and in what the Lake Chelan Community Center will mean for generations.”

Monica Names-King, also representing the foundation, said the momentum surrounding the project was evident.

“You could feel it building,” she said. “People were excited. They understood the impact of the match and wanted to be part of something bigger than themselves.”

While final totals are still being confirmed, leaders said funds raised during the fourth quarter exceeded expectations, reflecting what they described as an unprecedented level of generosity and engagement.

“This moment belongs to everyone who gave, shared the message, attended an event, or encouraged someone else to participate,” Isaak said. “Every gift mattered. Every conversation mattered. Together, they brought us here.”

With the matching challenge complete, the Lake Chelan Community Center will move forward as construction begins on the gymnasium and performing arts center. The work represents a key step toward the development of a 44,000-square-foot facility designed to support connection, wellness, learning and belonging for people of all ages.

Project leaders emphasized that while the milestone marks significant progress, additional fundraising will be required to fully realize the long-term vision for the community center and its expanded programming.

The Lake Chelan Community Center is a community facility project of the Seven Acres Foundation serving the Chelan Valley. The Tom and Meg Names Foundation supports initiatives that strengthen communities and reflect the values of service and generosity exemplified by Tom and Meg Names.