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“Most people who come up here are
wanting something,” Hope Newsom said as
she stood before the Wake Forest Town
Board Tuesday night. “I’m going to give
you something.”
That something was a check
for $58,659.45 given to the town by the
Northern Wake Senior Citizens
Association, the group which raised
funds to build the North Wake Senior
Center on East Holding Avenue.
Newsom, a former
commissioner, related the history of the
group from its inception in 1988. “They
bought two acres of land and paid for
it. It wasn’t easy.”
She recalled the all-day
festival in September of 1992. “We
worked a year to organize it.” After the
food, the pony rides, the antique sales
– “We even sold a car that day.” –
Newsom said, spreading her hands to show
the size, “They brought me bags of
money. I literally slept and walked and
ate with that money until Tuesday
morning.” The group cleared $10,000 that
day.
The effort to erect the
$1-million building was culminated by a
gift of $250,000 by Bertha Harris, a
retired teacher. The building was
dedicated on Feb. 5, 1955, and was
totally paid for at that time.
Newsom, who has been the
association’s treasurer for many years,
explained the decision to give the money
to the town for capital expenses.
“A lot of the people
involved in this have passed on. It was
time to do something with it.”
She received a standing
ovation from everyone in the room as she
handed the check to Mayor Vivian Jones.
The association turned
ownership of the building over to the
town many years ago. The town maintains
the building, and Resources for Seniors
operates the programs. |
