Wenatchee Senior Center Selects New Name For Facility

The Wenatchee Valley Senior Activity Center now has a new name.

In a news release this week, the organization announced it will rebrand the facility at 1312 Maple Street in Wenatchee at as the Foothills Community Center.

The fresh sobriquet has been unanimously approved by the Center's board of directors and was inspired by a mural inside the building that was painted by the late William R. Fischer in 2005.

The mural spans an entire wall within the Center's social hall, and executive director Lisa Blair says when Fischer created it, he "saw something many of us had not yet — he had a clear vision of who we are, where we live, and what we could become together as neighbors, friends, and family."

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Blair added that the decision to re-name the Center came after much internal consideration and public input, and that the change will better reflect the identity of the facility.

Although the Center's management says it always has been, and will continue to be dedicated to serving those who are 50 years of age and older, it sought to drop the word "senior" from its longstanding namesake so as to better represent the broader community of people who are involved with the organization.

According to Blair, the new name is about honoring the growth and positive change which the Center has seen in recent decades, and to welcome "everyone who is already a part of what we have built together."

Although the name change has been officialized by the Center's board, the process to formally rebrand will not begin until next year, since autumn is a critical time for annual fundraising endeavors at the organization, who cites a desire not to create confusion for its donors or the general public as the main reason for delaying the efforts to better establish the "Foothills Community Center" tag.

The new title was chosen following a re-naming contest that was held by the Center, which reportedly received over 500 submissions and will award prizes for the top three suggestions.