Kroc Center marks fifth anniversary with movie night, carnival

The Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center- Boston will celebrate its fifth year this month with a series of promotions and free activities starting on June 20 and highlighted by an outdoor carnival and concert on June 25.

The Salvation Army Kroc Center of Boston is one of the 26 nationwide, world-class community centers that came out of a mega-gift of $1.5 billion from Joan Kroc, the widow of the founder of McDonalds, Ray Kroc. The center is full of creative, educational, and recreation space, including an impressive indoor aquatics park, soccer field, outdoor tennis court, rock wall, NCAA regulated court, multi purpose theater that doubles as a movie theater, recording studio, education space, library, two floor fitness center, and dance studio.

The centers hoped to create a nurturing place for education, health and wellness— and Dudley Street was the perfect location for it. It remains the largest facility of its kind in New England. Over the last five years, it has grown to an all-time membership high of 3,800 members.

“The Kroc Center is truly a family place and our family is growing!” said Yhinny Matos, the center’s Marketing Manager.

The dedicated members, passionate parents, great students, families, and friends have made a major impact for the community’s center and a celebration is definitely called for.

“We wanted to celebrate the five years being on Dudley Street. Rather than just having a party for everyone, we wanted to do something a little above and beyond,” said Matos.

Throughout the celebration week, member appreciation events are planned from June 20 to, June 23. The first of the two free events is Friday, June 24, when the Kroc Center will host a community movie night, showing the animated film, “The Minions” on the turf field at 7p.m.

“Our first one —we had it last year— was very successful,” said Matos. “We had close to 200 families come out with their own lawn chairs and blanket. It was just great. We had a popcorn machine out there and it was really a great time for families to be out there at night, very safe.

“We had police present and port-o-potties, and we had food trucks. It was just a very fun family oriented time,” said Matos.

On Saturday, June 25, an outdoor carnival celebration and concert will take place on the field at 12p.m. The event will include carnival games, a dunk tank, mobile gaming, and food trucks. A lot of the Kroc Centers partners will be coming out as well such as Circus Up, New England Aquarium, and Project Adventure. They will be doing a variety of activities with the kids. The evening will close out with a concert of the community’s best acts from 5 to 6p.m.

On Sunday, June 26, the five-year celebration will conclude with a Charter Member Appreciation Reception from 3 to 5p.m. for the dedicated member and community leaders who have supported the center since 2011.

For additional information on the Kroc Center’s Fifth Anniversary celebration activities, visit boston.salarmykroc.org/.


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