Ribbon Cutting and Open House for Newly Revitalized Youth Center Strike a Deep Chord for Many in Attendance

Among the crowd of people who attended the reopening of the Santmyers Youth Center, beginning with a ribbon cutting at 1 p.m. and followed by an open house on Friday, November 1 at 200 East 8^th Street, there was a handful of public servants who can remember when as young people they benefited from the legacy of the Santmyers family, who welcomed the youth of Warren County into a safe place where those young people had the opportunity to connect with each other in a relaxed, supportive environment.

Above: founders of Reaching Out Now, Joe and Samantha Barber, extend their thanks to many in attendance at a ribbon cutting and open house for the newly revitalized and reopened youth center, now known as the Raymond E. Santmyers Student Union and Activity Center. Bringing the youth center back to life has truly been a collective effort. Below: the Barbers sit on the stage in the youth center’s activity room. Royal Examiner Photo Credits: Brenden McHugh.

Town Councilman Glenn Wood considers the newly revitalized Raymond E. Santmyers Student Union and Activity Center a “reinvention” of his early years. Virginia Delegate Delores Oates fondly recalls dancing at the youth center in the 70s when many school clubs existed. Still, none offered the easy-going atmosphere that the Santmyers made possible. Chair of the Board of Supervisors Cheryl Cullers is looking back as much as she is looking forward, telling the Royal Examiner that she hopes transportation will be provided to children who live in the county outside of town, many of whom may have no other way of attending the youth center.

Ron Santmyers, son of the late Raymond Santmyers, cuts the ribbon for the newly revitalized and reopened youth center while surrounded by public servants who play critical roles in the community.

Ron Santmyers, son of Raymond Santmyers, was present to cut the ribbon. He is enthusiastic to see his family’s legacy continued. “My father was really dedicated to the youth of Front Royal and Warren County,” he said. “He went out and gathered support to put this building together. And it was done all by community support, donations, and material.” He described the active role he played in his parents’ mission, participating in the scoping and planning of the topography surrounding the center as well as the building itself. “This was all done by local people.” They have inherited this, he said, referring to Reaching Out Now, the nonprofit that has revitalized the center. “They’re bringing it back. It’s a phoenix rising from the ashes.”

An open house for the newly revitalized and reopened youth center features many in attendance milling about and talking or enjoying a boxed lunch from On Cue.

Reaching Out Now (RON), founded by Joe and Samantha Barber, has a vision for not merely entertaining the youth of this county but inviting them to grow in leadership and think actively about their futures. Already, RON has held several brainstorming sessions in which key players in the community have come together to imagine what the student union might be able to offer the youth in terms of tutoring and mental health awareness, among other things. According to Vice President Sina May, prior to opening, RON held a leadership event for students who came and enjoyed the newly furnished activity room. May said that it was so good to see this kind of demo of what the youth center can be and do.

“It’s a day of excitement and hope,” Joe Barber said. “We believe that the children in the community need this, and this is somewhere where they will feel safe and comfortable and want to be here.” RON’s president, Samantha Barber, also shared candidly. “We saw this, but we didn’t see this,” she said, expressing how positively overwhelming it is to have reality surpass her vision. She indicated that the room was packed with people, all of whom saw what the youth center could be as they fellowship with each other. Already, young people are receiving the attention they need and deserve. “That is what this space represents. It represents a space for our kids to come and have fun and feel safe and for our adults as well.” She continued: “It’s all-encompassing. It’s encompassing our community leaders; it’s encompassing our kids … our community leaders are coming together to make it happen, to pour into our kids’ lives, and together to make a difference.”