TRACK AND RECENT SCHOOL FUNDRAISING HISTORY

Sometimes it only takes a little nudge, or it is a big shove. But sometimes it takes just someone who cares enough about a Christian Education for children they may never know, never meet, or even share a smile with. That is what Roseburg Christian Academy has experienced. So, here is our story. Years ago, an anonymous donor gave monies to the Oregon Conference of Seventh-day Adventist to be distributed to schools for their much-needed maintenance needs. It was called PROJECT IMPACT. It was a money match grant. We as a church community felt so grateful to that donor who gave so much to so many, and we shared in that joy of giving as it was a requirement that the church/school had to match the donation dollar for dollar. I am a firm believer in not just gifting money to organizations, people etc., I liked the matching money thought process. Roseburg Christian Academy was one of the benefactors of said money. This seed money provided much needed asphalt repairs/sealant. Then the old outdated and deteriorated exterior of the school was replaced with new siding. The painter then sprayed on the new paint and WOW, what an incredible difference this new fresh clean look made the 1960’s building. During this process new windows were ordered and installed by volunteers, along with a few doors and portable air conditioning units were installed or replaced. Again, big changes and big differences in the lives of our staff and students. An impressive new school sign was installed to which the new name was announced to the community. Roseburg Christian Academy vs. Roseburg Junior Academy. Again, all this occurred because of one person’s unselfish love for Christian Education and my guess is there were hopes of changing young lives where the love of Jesus would naturally occur through a Christian Education. Now, here we are a few years down the way, Covid-19 is behind us, we here at Roseburg Christian Academy are trying to keep our core maintenance needs repaired timely, to create an incredible creative, safe, and educational environment daily, for our student population. What you will see is that it takes many volunteers. We have folks volunteering doing Work Bees for maintenance needs from the Glide, Winston, Roseburg, and Turning Point SDA Churches. You will see a run-down school ground, a track that is years past its glory days, pee wee soccer fields that have no green grass, a basketball court with no asphalt to just name a few things. So much need… where do we start. What many do not know is that Roseburg Christian Academy has shared most of their green space/outdoor area with the Hucrest Community in Roseburg. If you visit with the locals, they will share that they have learned to skate, ride their bikes, or walk/run for their specific schools on our track. The track is used to this day by young and old alike. The locals will share they cannot remember when the track wasn’t there. They talk of softball games and family softball throws, soccer games and fun times that bring so many fond memories. Many of the locals have said they appreciate how generous Roseburg Christian Academy has been to the community as all the public schools have locked their facilities away from public access these days. The track was donated entirely by Dr. Jesse from the Glide SDA Church. The track total cost to build was $10,000. I learned from a retired schoolteacher from Roseburg Christian Academy that Ron Worrell was the principal at the time and the track was built in the mid 1980’s. A parent also recalls their son ran on the new track in 1987. With that valuable information, we are assuming the track is around 37-38 years of age. In November 2023, a request for a subcommittee was requested by a Roseburg Christian Academy Board member. The request was approved by the board at once. Various residents were contacted in the Hucrest community. God blessed us with an incredible team. This core group continues to expand. After months of meetings and the proper steps taken, the fundraising began in October 2024. We are encouraged that God wants us to make the lives of the students and community healthier by offering a space in the community to exercise and play outdoor games. Now, we are raising funds for the first phase of three for our school campus. If you are so inclined, please share in the joy of giving and join others in committing to this incredible journey to improvement for Roseburg Christian Academy.