Renewed Lincoln Rec Center celebration set for Aug. 3

By Cheletia Johnson, Lincoln Recreation Center Supervisor

“We pledge a better school to be, O’ Lincoln how we love you.”

The closing line from the former Lincoln High’s school song still rings true more than 70 years later. The Lincoln Recreation Center’s $3.4 million expansion and renovation extends the Texas historical site’s long tradition of education and fellowship for future generations.

We invite you to join us as we celebrate, cherish and explore the renewed Lincoln Recreation Center at a grand opening ceremony on Saturday, Aug. 3, from 10 a.m.-noon at 1000 Eleanor St. The event also features the College Station Police Department’s Back to School Rally.

Ribbon-cutting will be at 10 a.m., followed by guided facility tours every half hour, starting at 10:30. CSPD will provide free school supplies, and you can interact with police officers and explore emergency vehicles. Youngsters can also enjoy bounce houses, the splash pad, and games.

We’ll serve light refreshments with entertainment by the Lincoln Center’s Minds of Champions Chorus. Overflow parking is available at the Wayne Smith Ballfield parking lot at 107 Holleman Drive.

The development of the new center supports our community’s growing needs and enhances after-school programs, young adult and senior programs, and educational classes while providing rental space. It also serves as a social hub that encourages community members to gather, create, learn, and enjoy.

What’s New?

Voters approved expansion and renovation in 2008. A new 15,355 square-foot building includes a second gymnasium with wood flooring, three additional activity classrooms and a fitness room loaded with new equipment. The facility is accented with purple in reverence to Lincoln High’s school colors and proudly displays the old Panthers mascot on the gym floor.

The new building features five multipurpose rooms that can fill an array of recreational, social, meeting and rental needs. It also has an open area for physical activities and a fully furnished workout area with state-of-the-art equipment.

Renovations to the original building include an expanded community room, an upgraded computer lab, floor repairs, and better gymnasium lighting.

Through the vision of Lincoln Recreation Center trailblazers Lillian Jean Clark Robinson, Lance Jackson, and Kim Daily, the center will improve the quality of life for children, youth, seniors, and families through culturally responsive educational and social service activities.

“Many of the participants at the Lincoln Recreation Center are descendants of students from Lincoln High,” Lincoln High alumnus Henry Lewis said. “Like their forefathers, they are contributing what they’ve learned from the center to the College Station community.”

The transformation embodies the true spirit of the old Lincoln High school motto:

“Forward forever, backward never.”

For more information, go to cstx.gov/LincolnCenter or call 979-764-3779.

About the Blogger

Lincoln Center Supervisor Cheletia Johnson has worked for the City of College Station for more than 25 years. A College Station native, she grew up near the LRC. Cheletia earned a bachelor’s degree in community health from Texas A&M and a master’s in counseling from Prairie View A&M.

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