Concord Township officials opened a GoFundMe page to raise donations to repair the Concord Community Center’s boiler system, which exploded and created a four-inch flood in the basement. According to Township Trustee Jeff Kizer, who serves as liaison to the CCC, coils need to be specially made and will cost $20,000 to $100,000 to fix.
The GoFundMe page is seeking $50,000 and had raised $540 as of Thursday afternoon. Kizer said the township received $1,500 in donations prior to posting the advertisement. He said the Community Center, located at 3263 N. state Route 560, now is running the 60- to 80-year-old furnace only to keep the pipes from freezing. He added the furnace will cost $20,000 to replace.
Township trustees are still meeting in the CCC’s Community Room. The Community Room, Meeting Room, and Gymnasium each can be rented for events for $35 an hour.
According to the center’s website, www.concordcommunitycenter.com: “The Concord Community Center is devoted to providing facilities, programs, and services that encourage positive living, offer life-changing experiences for children and adults, strengthen families, and enrich the community. These facilities, programs, and services promote educational enrichment, life skills development, and spiritual and physical wellness.”
The facility was the Concord Township School from 1914 until 1957, when six area school districts were combined to form the Graham Local Schools District. The building then became Graham East Elementary, named after A.B. Graham, who founded the 4-H program. In 1992, the Graham School District ceased using the facility and the Concord Community Center became the heart of recreational activities in northwestern Champaign County, the website states.
Donations can be made at www.gofundme.com/concord-community-center-heating. Donations also can be mailed to Concord Community Center, P.O. Box 52, St. Paris, OH 43072. For more information about the CCC, visit www.concordcommunitycenter.com.
