Geneva Rock recently made a $20,000 donation to the construction of the Curtis Center, a facility aimed to help developmentally challenged adults in Utah. The building is a culmination of 15 years of efforts from Michelle Holbrook.
Michelle, who has a son with special needs, struggled to find a place where her son could escape, play sports, and learn in a different setting through his childhood. After starting an organization called Just for Kids of Utah County, the group was granted non-profit status in 2007. Since then, Michelle has been raising funds for a dedicated facility, the Curtis Center, to serve people with disabilities.
The project officially broke ground in June thanks, in part, to Geneva Rock’s donation. The building is being constructed on five and a half acres in Lehi City donated from Michelle’s family.
The Curtis Center won’t strictly be used by adults with special needs. Michelle worked with the city to create a usage schedule allowing other groups access to the building. The facility will be able to serve over 300 adults with special needs in addition to countless other before and after school groups.
When complete at the end of next summer, patrons will be able to participate in sports in the gymnasium, theatre in the auditorium, multiple courses throughout the classrooms, and so much more. It will be substantially different from how the group has functioned in the past, renting space and shifting from location to location throughout the year.
“People with disabilities want to be just like everybody else,” Michelle said. “They want to be a part of the community, and with this donation, Geneva Rock is helping them feel accepted and be just like you and me. It really warms my heart to think that people in the community care about our cause. We can’t thank Geneva Rock enough for their support.”
