The West Jefferson Youth Athletic Association recently purchased the former Deer Creek School property in Lafayette for use as their headquarters.
(Posted Jan. 12, 2016)
By Sandi Latimer, Staff Writer
The West Jefferson Youth Athletic Association (WJYAA) is moving equipment to their new headquarters while trying to raise funds to pay off the mortgage.
On Dec. 30, the association closed on the purchase of the former Deer Creek School in Lafayette (across from the Red Brick Tavern), thanks to the generosity of area residents.
WJYAA had been without a permanent home since Galbreath Hall in West Jefferson was closed nearly two years ago and later razed. Since then, Russ Miller has allowed the association to store its equipment and outfit youth participants at his alpaca farm on Route 40 east of West Jefferson.
“They rearranged their livelihoods around our day jobs and volunteer schedules and operations,” Stanley said. “They allowed all of our football players and their parents to show up during our fitting sessions at the llama barn to be properly fitted for football shoulder pads and helmets for the last two years.”
In looking for a new permanent home, WJYAA leaders considered the former school building in Lafayette, however the asking price of $129,000 was too far out of reach for the non-profit, said John Stanley, association president. After lengthy negoti-ations, however, building owner Roger Runkle gave the association a $70,000 discount, cutting the cost to $59,000.
WJYAA initiated a Go Fund Me account to try to raise the $59,000, but the effort brought in just $400. Thankfully, Stanley said, other donors came forward.
“Recently, we obtained donations from the Travis family in memory of Floyd Travis and from Angie Travis with Pure Romance for $4,000,” Stanley said. “Along with a couple of anonymous donations that total $6,000, we were still short $49,000 plus closing costs of the purchase price.”
Around Thanksgiving, a London resident who wishes to remain anonymous borrowed the needed money on behalf of the association so that the property purchase could be made.
“Now we have to work hard to meet the mortgage,” Stanley said.
The association named Rebecca George as the external grant trustee; she is in charge of finding the necessary funds.
“The board is anxious to get started in the new location,” Stanley said. “We’re in the transition stage of getting the equipment under the new roof.”
Still to be determined is whether or not the association will open the facility to use by outside groups for other activities.
“We’ve had a teacher ask about holding tutoring classes there,” Stanley said. Should the association permit such outside uses, he said they likely will consider charging a rental fee.
In addition to Stanley and George, other members of the WJYAA board are: John Keyt, treasurer; Tim Keckley, assistant treasurer; Jarret Bare, first vice president; Jerry Fitzpatrick, youth operations trus-tee; Rick West, sponsor grant coordinator; Misty McCoy, assistant concession director; Cami Minton, concession director; Tonya Kean, secretary; Buddy Kean, equipment and property coordinator; and Teresa Kreiger, webmaster.
