RACINE - Seizing the moment and becoming an inspiration to yourself and others was the over-arching message on Saturday night, as more than 300 supporters and volunteers gathered to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the George Bray Neighborhood Center.

 

Gathered in the center's gym, supporters ate, chatted and reminisced with old friends, while they honored the history of the community center and those who have dedicated their hearts and minds to its mission.

 

"We had 50 percent of our funds cut last year, but what I found out ... is that volunteerism at the center improved 300 to 400 percent," said the center's executive director, Jameel Ghuari. "We are the ones we have been praying for.

 

"We can't keep waiting for some ghetto messiah ... to save us. God helps those who help themselves."

 

The keynote speaker was U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Wis. Moore, a Racine native who received one of the center's highest honors Saturday - a mural celebrating her public service - said the center has continued to be "a light" for those in the community who need it most.

 

"This is a jubilee," she said of the celebration.

 

Muhibb Dyer, a Milwaukee resident and the founder of the group Flood the Hood with Dreams, seemed to encapsulated the spirit of the evening.

 

"This is more than just a celebration," Dyer said. "This is supposed to inspire you so that 50 years from now, somebody is talking about how you did something great, and about how you passed through the world and it meant something . . . say now is the time."

 

In addition to handing out service awards to former Racine Mayor Jim Smith and former staff member Jahon Ghuari, the center honored honorary lifetime board members Bernice Moore and Jacob Lott with proclamations from both the county and city.

 

Lott, who worked with George Bray to help found the center in 1961, had trouble holding back tears as he spoke of the love and respect he felt in the room.

 

"I have the respect that each of you have given me down through the years," said Lott, 87. "I strived to earn that respect by respecting you.

"So let's keep on keeping on. Let's keep the faith. Let's keep the unity. God bless you you, all of you."

 

A brief history of the Bray Center

 

The George Bray Neighborhood Center began in 1961 as the Franklin Neighborhood Association or “Pink House” — the dream of residents eager to solve social and economic problems in their community.

 

Soon after its inception, the center began offering a variety of education, employment and recreational programs. In 1969 it moved from 816 10th Street to its current home at 924 Center Street. After settling in the new location board members voted to rename the association and its new building the George Bray Neighborhood Center after longtime director and founder George Bray.

 

With a focus on “fostering harmonious relationships” among all neighborhood residents, the Bray Center continues to provide a host of services aimed at improving the lives of local residents.

 

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