JFK Recreation Center Providing Opportunites For Douglass-Sumner Residents

Living in Douglass-Sumner in the northeast part of Kansas City, Kan., youth in the community are not provided many recreational opportunities. In fact, Wyandotte County ranks last in the state of Kansas in county health rankings. A safe place to go and be active on a daily basis does not exist.

That is all changing with the grand re-opening of the John F. Kennedy Recreation Center, Feb. 1. The center, which is located at 1310 N, 10th Street in Kansas City, Kan., will be open six days a week and will provide programs for both youths and seniors in the community.

For more than 10 years there was not a center. In October, JFK started opening its doors two days a week and averaged 50-80 users per day according to Linda Quinn, the Douglass-Sumner Community Advocate. It will now welcome the community on a regular basis, providing a place for the area youths to get active.

"That is what this is about," Quinn said. "It is about having a safe place with some guidance."

Quinn, whose position is funded through a grant from KC Healthy Kids, is working on providing programming at the center. Among the activities which she has started is a double-dutch jump rope team. The plans are for the team to start competing in events in the very near future. With one practice already, the team is looking for even more members for their next practice scheduled for Feb. 7.

Other programming Quinn said the center will be offering includes healthy food choice classes through Kansas State extension. Getting youths to be active and eat right is a goal of Quinn and KC Healthy Kids.

Those living in areas which promote active and healthy living options, tend to be healthier and live longer, better lives. With obesity rates rising every year, the center and its programming will help those who take advantage of the center's opportunities to enjoy the benefits of active living.

The center will also provide open court time for basketball and other activities. Other programming according to Quinn includes such events as the Halloween festival the center put on in October. There were costume and pumpkin carving contests and the event was well-attended according to Quinn.

While the center provides healthy life style choices, it also provides a safe area and gives the neighborhood youth something to do.

"This is tremendous for the community, especially because for the young people, through no fault of their own, find themselves getting arrested for loitering because they don't have a place to go," Quinn said. "Now they have a place to go."

And a place to be active and learn about healthy eating.

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