Philadelphia, PA – Aacer Flooring is proud to be a part of the Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center in Philadelphia’s Nicetown neighborhood. The 130,000-square foot facility is scheduled to have their grand opening October 16, 2010. Long-time Aacer dealer Classic Sport Floors of West Berlin, NJ www.classicsportsfloors.com installed over 9,000 square feet of UltraChannel DC in the main gymnasium, along with another 5,500 square feet of 33/32, 2-1/4”, 2nd & better maple in two aerobics rooms and a stage. Included in this center are attractions such as an indoor water park including a “lazy river,” a fitness center, an Internet-based library, and (of course) a gymnasium, among other amusements.
Classic owner Doug Harvey and his team from Philadelphia Local #1823 and New Jersey Local #29 installed the floors in over 4 weeks of the phased project. Harvey fended off extreme competition on this highly-sought Union project from other installers in the area.
Kroc Community Centers are the response by the Salvation Army to a task subsidized by McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc and his wife, Joan. When Mrs. Kroc passed away in 2003, she left $1.5 billion to the Salvation Army, charging them with the take of bringing community centers to underprivileged neighborhoods across the country. According to the Salvation Army website, Mrs. Kroc’s wish was to “create a center, supported in part by the community, where children and families would be exposed to different people, activities, and arts that would otherwise be beyond their reach.”
The Salvation Army completed the first Kroc Center in San Diego, CA in 2001. Centers followed in: Ashland, OH; Atlanta, GA; Coeur d’Alene, ID; Omaha, NE; Salem, OR; and San Francisco, CA. Seven centers are scheduled to open in 2010 in: Dayton, OH; Grand Rapids, MI; Green Bay, WI; Kerrville, TX; Quincy, IL; and here in Philadelphia. In 2011, Kroc Centers are expected to begin construction in: Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; Greenville, SC; Memphis, TN; Phoenix, AZ; South Bend, IN; Honolulu, HI; Augusta, GA; Biloxi, MS; Camden, NJ; Staten Island, NY; Puerto Rico; and Norfolk, VA.
Kit Burkholder
Northeastern Regional Manager
