Loving Spirits Create $1.2 Million New Pavilion


(posted May 25)


It took community support and philanthropic hearts to fulfill the $1.2 million vision to build a community recreational pavilion as part of the Fay Biccard Glick Neighborhood Community Center. Gene Glick of the Glick Family Foundation officially opened the facility at the ribbon cutting ceremony on May 24.

"So lets raise our glasses and toast the facility and long, long may it last," he said.

"You didn't have to do it but you did," Helen Lands, CEO of the community center, said to Glick. While Glick's donation to the pavilion was not revealed, Landis did give praise to the United Way of Central Indiana for its $600,000 donation.

Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson said "Gene and Marilyn Glick are two very special people" for the generosity to keep giving back to the community to make Indianapolis a better place. Peterson expressed his gratitude for the facility and its importance to help mold and guide our youth into making right choices in life. The center offers healthy wholesome activities to help children avoid the pull of the street that can lead to bad choices.

The pre-school children dubbed the Sweet Pickles were honored and touted for their well-behaved manners during the two-hour ceremony.

The center also offers serves the seniors with a variety of programs.

Peterson also credited Lands for her charismatic leadership to orchestrate the fundraising drive.

"She is driven by the right spirit. You can feel her heart," he said.

"I think Mrs. Lands is awesome. She is great about referring clients to us for poor relief. We also refer clients to her to help people with light bill and rental assistance," Township Trustee Lula Patton said.

Lands is not going to give the board of directors much of a break before starting her next building campaign. Her visioning for the community center is not over. "An art and cultural center vision is coming," she said. The site still has three to four acres of vacant land at 2990 W. 71st Street.


(link to Feb 2007 article on the Fay Biccard Glick center)

Board of Directors President Jenice Golson, left,  assisted Gene Glick and Mayor Peterson with the ribbon cutting

Photos by Jay Thompson

Gene Glick made his donation to the center in his mother's honor.


The new recreation building is also the home to the UMOJA Christian Church.


The Sweet Pickles, representing students from the center's childhood development program, were onhand for the ceremony.