Director's Message — August 2026

​Summer is in full swing, which means it’s almost time for one of our favorite traditions — our annual Summer’s End Barbecue! We hope you’ll join us for an evening filled with great food, wonderful entertainment, and plenty of fun.

For just $15, you’ll enjoy juicy hamburgers and hot dogs grilled by our famous Applarians, Debbie’s legendary potato salad, baked beans, chips, drinks and delicious ice cream sundaes. We’re also excited to welcome Lance Tigner and the Easy Street Men’s Choir, who will entertain us with their incredible voices and a wide variety of musical favorites.

There will be plenty of games to enjoy, including cornhole, Plinko, horseshoes, and other outdoor favorites — although with this summer heat, we’ll probably be playing many of them indoors! Mark your calendar for Saturday, Aug. 22, with the festivities beginning promptly at 6 p.m. Last year’s barbecue was a full house, so be sure to get your tickets early before they’re gone!

The fun continues Saturday, Sept. 19, when we welcome The Wenatchee Big Band for a special dance from 7–9 p.m. Tickets are available at the reception desk for $15, and we expect another great turnout. Be sure to purchase your tickets soon so you don’t miss this wonderful evening of music and dancing.

Many of you have noticed an empty office where our Program Director, Lydia, usually keeps busy. We’re happy to share that on July 23 at 5:56 a.m., Lydia welcomed a beautiful baby girl! Hallie Rose weighed 7 pounds, 8 ounces and measured 19½ inches long. Congratulations to Lydia and her family — we couldn’t be happier for them! Lydia plans to return after Thanksgiving. In the meantime, Kristen will be happy to assist you with room rentals, trip information, registrations, and just about anything else you may need. Lydia’s monthly article will also take a short break and will return after the first of the year.

Kristen has also stepped into another important role by taking the lead on this year’s Holiday Gift Fair. Planning is already underway for what has traditionally been the Center’s largest event of the year. Booth registration will begin in September, and information will soon be sent to everyone who has expressed interest in selling their handcrafted items. We’re looking forward to another fantastic event!

The past several months has been especially busy as we prepared for our Annual Meeting and welcomed several new members to our Board of Directors. We are pleased to introduce Jeff Gomes as our new First Vice Chair, Keith Kirkpatrick as Director C, and Nick Davis and Mike Norton as Members-at-Large. We also congratulate Marco Martinez, who previously served as a Member-at-Large and has now been elected Second Vice Chair. Our Board is made up of dedicated volunteers who generously give their time and talents to help guide the Center. I know I am personally grateful for each one of them.

There never seems to be a lull in the activity here at the center, and currently I have been working hard preparing three major grant applications. Two are focused on funding our future building expansion, while another will help support our day-to-day operating expenses. We continue making steady progress toward our expansion project and have now raised more than $450,000. One of our next important milestones will be completing a survey of the property, an essential step before construction can begin. While it may sometimes seem quiet from the outside, there is a tremendous amount happening behind the scenes as we work to make this exciting vision a reality. If you would like to support the building project, please contact Jim Tarbert, Chairman of the Board, or me. We would be happy to visit with you about how you can help.

A heartfelt thank you goes to Wenatchee Memory Care for their generous donation of N-95 masks to Foothills Community Center. Masks are available on the table near the coffee bar. Please feel free to take what you need — and you're welcome to pick up extras for family and friends as well. 

Finally, a friendly reminder that Foothills Community Center will be closed Monday, Sept. 7, in observance of Labor Day. The Second Chance Thrift Store will also be closed on Saturday, Sept. 5, and Monday, Sept. 7. We hope everyone enjoys a safe, relaxing holiday weekend!

As always, thank you for being part of the Foothills Community Center family. We appreciate each one of you and look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events!

~ Lisa Blair, Executive Director