ACES after-school program planning to build youth center

On weekday afternoons, an average of 60 children attend the Bigfork ACES program — a combination of arts, community, education and sports activities that keeps kids busy after school and during the summer months.

“The need is great,” Director Cathy Hay said at the Oct. 21 Bigfork Town Hall meeting. “Right now we are averaging 60 kids in a 1,400-square-foot building, which is awful, but we do it.”

But the program is planning to construct a larger facility that will adequately house its growing number of program participants in the coming years. Hay spent four months searching for available land or buildings, but found nothing that was in walking distance of the school. Fortunately, the owner of the program’s existing building, right across the street from Bigfork Elementary School, has agreed to sell, Hay said.

“The location just couldn’t be better,” she said.

However, the building, which was constructed in 1940, has to go. Instead, Hay said ACES hopes to construct a 5,000-square-foot youth center in its place. They’re in the very early stages of planning, but would like to see a basement in the new building, which would add substantial space, and ideally a room dedicated for homework and another for early childhood, among other amenities. They won’t know the price of their current building until it’s appraised and have yet to crunch the numbers on what a new facility would cost.

One thing Hay is certain of is the need for the ACES program in the Bigfork community.

“For the last three or four years, we averaged between 30 and 40 kids a day. We’re now averaging between 55 and 65 a day. Obviously the need has increased and also, through the summer, we were booked out at a maximum of 80 kids a day,” Hay explained. “I think it’s important for the community to realize that there’s nothing like Bigfork ACES to support working families and support kids that possibly don’t have anything to do in the summer and after school.”

The program also serves dinner to an average of 50 kids each day through its Child Adult Care Food Program.

Hay is on the hunt for members to form an advisory committee to generate ideas and help with fundraising for the project. Interested parties can call (406) 837-3414 or email bigforkaces@gmail.com or learn more about the program by visiting www.acesafterschool.com.