ROGERS -- A crowd of about 30 attended a ribbon-cutting to celebrate the re-opening of the Boys & Girls Club of Benton County's Rogers Unit on Friday morning.
"We can't thank the community enough for their support," said Matt Taliaferro, CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Benton County. "A lot of work went into this renovation. Without the support of the community, we wouldn't have been able to make it happen."
The red-brick building that houses the club at 409 S. Eighth St. was built in 1940 and once served as the Rogers National Guard Armory, Taliaferro told the crowd.
United Federal Credit Union, the city of Rogers and local donors provided financial support for the just-completed major renovation, according to a news release. Included in that work was an overhaul of the learning center, adding safety features and making upgrades to improve the overall experience, according to the release.
The project started over two years ago, Taliaferro said. Using a grant from the city, the gym floor was replaced, he said. But that was just the start.
"After that, we continued to do things, and it got to a point where we realized we needed to go out and ask for some more help," Taliaferro said. "We got huge donations and then started a complete renovation."