DETROIT LAKES - When 8-year-old Hayden Lacher first saw the newspaper photos of the proposed new Backyard addition to the Detroit Lakes Community & Cultural Center, he got pretty excited.
"It looked like it was going to be a fun place," he said.
"A place for kids," his mother added.
So Hayden told his parents, Annmarie and Marcus, that they should make a donation to the project.
"Why don't you make one?" his mother asked.
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So Hayden thought about it some more, and came up with an idea: For several years, his family had held an annual rummage/garage sale, with the proceeds going toward an annual scholarship that his father, Marcus, had started.
"I belong to IAAP (International Association of Administrative Professionals), and I started a scholarship through them," Marcus said.
During this year's sale, Hayden proposed that he and his younger sister Julia (age 6) would sell lemonade and monster cookies -- made from their Aunt Lisa's special recipe.
"They (the cookies) were a big hit," said Annmarie.
The proceeds from the lemonade stand were to be donated to the Backyard project.
The sales team remained at the stand for most of the day, with only a couple of short breaks -- once to walk the dog, and once to visit a neighboring friend, Hayden said.
"We made 10 dozen cookies or more," Annmarie said. "Hayden and Julia both helped."
By the end of the sale, "we had about 12 cookies left to sell," Hayden said.
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"They had to make some more, because I brought some to work to sell too," Marcus said, adding that he raised another $10 toward the kids' donation from his colleagues.
In all, the Lachers raised $81.25 -- and Hayden had another idea.
He knew that the second graders at Rossman School had raised money for the Lakes Crisis & Resource Center (where Annmarie works) through a penny drive, and presented it to them in a big check.
So he and Julia made a big check of their own, for $81.25, and presented it to the DLCCC on Monday, June 14.
"They did really good," their proud mother said.
The Lachers have had a family membership at the DLCCC since moving to Detroit Lakes several years ago.
"I'm the one that uses it the most," Marcus said.
"I go swimming there, but mostly in the winter," Hayden said. "In the summer there's the beach and lots of other things to do."
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The Lachers are very supportive of the Backyard project, as a family.
"We thought it would be nice to have more activities for the kids to do at the community center," Annmarie said.
"We have lots of friends in the neighborhood that will be able to use the Backyard," said Marcus, noting that there is a full load of kids taking the bus to school every year, just from their neighborhood in the Timber Creek area.
The Backyard project at the DLCCC is a proposed $2.5 million, 6,000 square foot addition to the facility that will include a 27x52x27 Kids' Playland, 1,870 square foot youth gymnasium and 500 square foot interactive fitness area (primarily for teens), as well as a new free weight area and expanded cardio workout area in the upper level.
Approximately half of the amount has already been raised through private donations. A public campaign is underway this month to raise the remainder.
For more information, or to make a donation, contact the Detroit Lakes Community & Cultural Center at 218-844-4221.
