Teen Center to host annual seesaw fundraiser
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Willow Maffio, right, and Meira McCutchan kick off the Common Ground Teen Center’s 24-hour Seesaw Marathon fundraiser in 2021.
Karen Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
In this file photo from 2020, Desiree Hancq, left, and Ashley Horvath participate in the 24-hour Seesaw Marathon to benefit the Common Ground Teen Center in Washington.
From 4 p.m. Friday to 4 p.m. Saturday, nearly 100 local teens will keep a homemade seesaw swaying up and down outside 92 N. Main St. to raise money for the Common Ground Teen Center in downtown Washington.
The teen center aims to raise $45,000 during its third annual Seesaw Marathon.
The public is encouraged to pledge a dollar amount for every hour the seesaw continuously moves, to donate to the Teen Center or to swing by to cheer on the teens volunteering their time for the center.
The marathon kicks off with an opening ceremony at 4 p.m. Friday, and teens will seesaw in shifts through the night and into late Saturday afternoon. There will be music, snacks, conversation and other activities to keep teens, chaperones and passersby entertained. Volunteer seesaw participants remain on site for the duration of the marathon, and bring their own pillows for sneaking shut-eye during the overnight portion of the event.
The 24-hour seesaw marathon is the brainchild of teen outreach community coordinator Amy Gough, who was inspired to host a creative fundraiser after the Washington Health System Teen Outreach Common Ground Teen Center lost 50% of its funding in 2020.
Since 2008, the Common Ground Teen Center has offered local young people a safe space in which to explore their interests, make friends and grow. Activities, including Banned Book Club, Cooking Club and social hour, take place every night of the week, and the center offers summer clubs and additional programming, as well.
For more information on Common Ground Teen Center, visit https://www.facebook.com/TheCommonGroundTeenCenter/.