New game room opens Thursday at Whaley Children's Center - ABC 12 – WJRT – Flint, MI

(02/21/13) - A project months in the making - to benefit Mid-Michigan children - is now complete.

An open house for the new game room at Whaley Children's Center in Flint was held Thursday.

Bright walls, lots of games, and comfy furniture - this is the ultimate playroom.

"This is really just the beginning of what we hope and what we believe is going to be bigger brighter for these children," said Kevin Roach, Whaley Children's Center president & CEO.

This is the "Project Joy Family Game Room" at the Whaley Children's Center. The Center provides a safe place for children ages 5-17 who have suffered abuse and neglect.

"At the end of the day, these children are still children and they deserve the opportunities and all the activities that a normal child would have. And while we're still in that institutionalized setting, within the context of that, they should be able to play board games with their siblings," Roach said.

The $30,000 project was completely funded by donations. Baker College and the Zoie Sky Foundation are among the institutions that made it happen

"We came up with a room that was fun, that was high energy, that was encouraging that gave children multiple activities and opportunities to get engaged and develop social skills by playing a board game with each other," Roach said. "One of things we're sharing with the community and the guests that do come tonight is this is really just a launching pad for something bigger and brighter. We want all the walls to look like this, all the games and the books."

Tours of the Whaley Center, including the new game room, began at 5 p.m. The Whaley Center is in the 1200 block of N. Grand Traverse in Flint.