On July 23, 2014 Children’s Center celebrated the groundbreaking for the new building.

It's official!  The dirt is turned (from left to right) by Robert Schaefer, Colleen Thrift, Larry Ogg, Cherry Thrift, Luke McClaskey, Lyn Angelo, Peg Busick, and Pat Beckett.  Photograph by Paul Montague.

It’s official! The dirt is turned (from left to right) by Kelly Love, Robert Schaefer, Colleen Thrift, Larry Ogg, Cherry Shaw, Luke McClaskey, Lyn Angelo, Peg Busick, and Pat Beckett. Photograph by Paul Montague.

The building, to be named The Marilyn Moyer Building, will help Children’s Center continue to keep our promise to our community that no child would wait for mental health services when in need. While we are proud to have delivered on this promise for over 20 years, we are significantly challenged by an increasing demand for services, limited space, and a building that can no longer support the growing demand for services. The ground breaking ceremony marked a monumental step in responding to these challenges.

In her warm welcome to those that came to celebrate the “joyous occasion” Pat Beckett, Children’s Center’s Executive Director, highlighted that the day’s celebration was “the result of 10 years of patience and persistence. The project we are celebrating today has required leadership, foresight, careful planning and philanthropy.” “We have many people to thank,” she said, “for without their generous support, advocacy and leadership, we would not be here today. Our heartfelt thanks go to: the Marilyn Moyer Charitable Trust, the Tod and Maxine McClaskey Foundation, John and Lois Tennant Foundation, Cherry and Ed Shaw, Jo Marie and Steve Hansen, Jan and Steve Oliva, Peg and Steve Busick, Lee and Connie Kearney, Vicki and Bill Pahl, Children’s Center’s Board of Directors, our Elected Officials and a special thank you to the citizens of Washington State who contributed $1.2 million through a State appropriation.”

We hope that you will join us for another celebration, our Grand Opening, in May of 2015 when the new building will be completed.