Family Alliance Retreat & Outreach Services
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FAROS Center Set To Reach Out To Youth Madisonville Meteor, June 15, 2005 By Tracy Dang The Family Alliance Retreat and Outreach Services (FAROS) Youth Center is having its grand opening Saturday June18 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. The idea for the center was formed by a group of five men who wanted to give the youth of Madison County the option of staying in town to find something to do. "We wanted to create a safe haven for the kids in the community." said Richard Gilbreath, who donated the land on which the center is built. "There really isn't anything for the kids to do, and we have such a big drug problem here that this is somewhere they can go and not have to worry about those temptations." The facility will be available for use by any church or organization that needs a place to host an event. It would also be accessible if a group of kids just wanted to get together and hang out. So far, there are two portable buildings that house a kitchen, a meeting room with a sound room where kids can practice their instruments and record their music onto a CD. The center is also equipped with two horseshoe pits and a foosball table in the game room. FAROS plans to add more to the center but can only do so with sponsorship and the support of the community. "We're surprisingly getting a lot of skepticism from the community, but if they can see the picture down the road, they can see how great this can be," said FAROS President, Amy Reed. "If you have faith, anything can happen, and we won't stop until we make this a success." In celebration of the grand opening, FAROS will be hosting a volleyball tournament Saturday for the kids between the ages of 13 and 18. The registration fee for a team of 10 is $50, and teams must register by 5 p.m. om Friday, June 17. Forms can be dropped off or mailed to Tri-County Electric, P.O. Box 1824, Madisonville, TX 77864. Parents and children can also participate in the Parent/Child Horseshoe Tournament or Father/Child Flag Football. In addition to all the competitions, there will also be free hot dogs, concession stands, a foosball table in the game room, tug-o-war, a bonfire, an awards ceremony and entertainment provided by The Band Revelations. "It's free; it's fun, and it's for the whole family," Reed said. "This is a family-oriented community, and if the people will come see what it's all about, they'll start seeing the good that can come out of this." For more information about Saturday's activities or to find out how you can become involved with the FAROS Youth Center, contact Amy Reed at 348-6105. |
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