providing the fill needed to make
it usable.
that it would reach 5,000 mem-
bers in five years. In the first
year alone, membership ex-
ceeded 16,000! At the same time,
the corps opened its doors for
worship services. Supplementing
ously attended an Army service. The corps blossomed,
soon reaching attendance of around 150 to 200.
Army Coeur d'Alene Kroc Center actually serves five
counties in the panhandle of Idaho.) The biggest im-
pact has been the aquatic center, which boasts a 10�
lane, Olympic�size swimming pool certified for
competition. Not only do the four local high schools use
it for their swim team practices and meets, it has also
hosted several state competitions and the local Special
Olympics. A water safety program for third�graders has
grown from 200 students to over 1,000, and will ap-
proach 2,000 students annually in the next two years.
day camp, senior services, music lessons, dance, group
exercise, health and nutrition classes, swim classes,
and rock climbing.
The center also has
an indoor playground
and a coffee shop.
Two programs are in
such high demand
sprawling facility: the preschool program that allows
parents to bring their children in to play while they
study or exercise, and the after�school middle school
program which was launched when the staff noted the
increasing number of teens who came by each afternoon.
Tutoring, mentoring, recreation and spiritual guidance
have attracted so many participants to the after�
school program that it has grown beyond the space
allotted for it.
Center: "I have learned from The Salvation Army
that you can't give enough. There is always something
more." Lifelong resident Jack Riggs summed up the
general feeling: "In my lifetime this is one of the best
things to happen to this community. We are glad all
our previous efforts failed so that the door could be
opened to this."
opening day
approached, the
Army projected
that it would
members
fi rst year alone,
membership
exceeded 16,000!
for burgers at the
day camp.