Valley Parks & Rec to award free year memberships
BY KADIE TAYLOR
THE LAFAYETTE SUN
VALLEY — Valley Parks and Recreation is offering a free one-year membership to the winner of two of their holiday activities. Participants can go to the Valley Community Center and color an ornament before Dec. 26, and a winner will be drawn to receive a one-year membership on Dec. 29.
Valley Parks and Recreation is also holding a Gingerbread House Decorating Competition at the Valley Merry Go Round on Dec. 6 from 2 to 4 p.m. ET. Team up or compete individually with a chance to win a one-year membership. To participate in the competition and decorate a gingerbread house, competitors will have to pay $15 per gingerbread house kit.
“Anyone in the surrounding areas, not just [those in] the city of Valley, are more than welcome to stop by, see one of our front desk staff and grab a template to color in,” said Valley Parks and Recreation Program Director Annabel Thompson. “[Participants will] put their name and their phone number on the back [of their ornament] — and at the end of December, we're going to draw one and then that person or family will win a one-year free membership here. [Through this competition], we wanted people to be able to come and see the center. We have our nice pool, basketball court, walking track and a gym — so [the idea] was mainly just for people to come in and see the Center. Then, of course, if you win — that's awesome.”
Thompson said the median monetary value of a free year of a Valley Community Center membership is around $235, and she looks forward to these festive events bringing people to enjoy the recreation in Valley, with the possibility of winning a prize.
“We are doing the same thing for the gingerbread house competition — giving away a free membership, because it does have value,” she said. “But it's not even monetary — you can come, your kids can make friends in our youth camps. I could put together a little Christmas gift basket — I think people would get a lot more out of having a membership here, and having somewhere to come and exercise and get out of the house. So it's not even so much about the money — it's about just coming and seeing what the city of Valley has to offer as far as recreation.”
As people gather with family for the holidays, Thompson said Valley Parks and Recreation provides a community throughout the year for all ages to gather with others to enjoy shared interests.
“We hope lots of people come and participate, and that's a good turnout — these events are bringing the community together,” she said. “[Ultimately], there's not a lot of places where you can go and gather besides church, seeing people at the local restaurant or someone seeing others at their kids' basketball practice. But outside of that, there's not much. Valley has a lot of life in it and the Valley Community Center provides a space for people to gather together over shared interests. We're just trying to make it more public because the people of Valley and Chambers County are amazing people, and they deserve fun community events.”
For more information, visit Valley Parks and Recreation on Facebook.
