{"id":14887,"date":"2011-09-09T16:59:03","date_gmt":"2011-09-09T23:59:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/spiken.wpengine.com\/news\/kents-lopez-center-plans-fund-raising-dinner-sept-16\/"},"modified":"2016-10-23T00:55:37","modified_gmt":"2016-10-23T07:55:37","slug":"kents-lopez-center-plans-fund-raising-dinner-sept-16","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kentreporter.com\/news\/kents-lopez-center-plans-fund-raising-dinner-sept-16\/","title":{"rendered":"Kent’s Lopez Center plans fund-raising dinner Sept. 16"},"content":{"rendered":"
The financial challenges continue for the Lucy Lopez Community Center<\/a> in Kent.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Roberto Gonzalez and Raul Ramos, co-founders of the center, hope to get help from the community at a fund-raising dinner from 5-9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 16 at the ShoWare Center. Tickets are $50 for the dinner that will be provided by the arena’s food and beverage service.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Ramos said Sept. 16 was picked for the dinner because it’s Mexican Independence Day, when Mexico celebrates its freedom from Spanish rule.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n “It’s a way to give us additional operating funds,” Ramos said about the dinner. “It’s one of our many efforts to raise funds.”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The center opened in 2008 in a converted home at the southwest corner of Washington Avenue and James Street. The center is a nonprofit cultural and education facility set up to serve a growing Hispanic population as well others in the city through English classes, citizenship classes and other services.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n But officials closed the center in June because of a lack of funds. The center plans to reopen Sept. 19.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Ramos and other volunteers are working to redo the center’s floors, heating system and Internet. They also plan to paint the outside of the facility.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n “We are mounting fundraisers through corporate sponsorships and trying to seek grants,” said Ramos, who has talked to several companies about helping to fund the center.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Businesses can help sponsor the dinner with donations of $5,000, $3,000, $1,000 or $500.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n “This event will raise critical funding to expand our services,” Gonzalez said in a letter to help raise money for the center. “The most important task is to fund a job training program. We have already received substantial monetary support from the state and currently own a 1.3-acre parcel in Kent (next to the center) that will house our future facility and expansion of services but we can’t do this without your help.”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n