Lake Chelan Community Center Dedicates John and Helen Horan Indoor Playground
Sisters, and granddaughters of John and Helen Horan, cut the ribbon to celebrate the dedication and opening of the John & Helen Horan Indoor Playground at the Lake Chelan Community Center.
Lake Chelan, WA – The Lake Chelan Community Center hosted a dedication ceremony for the newly established John and Helen Horan Indoor Playroom on August 9th. The private event brought together descendants of the Horan family and representatives from the Seven Acres Foundation, which operates the Center.
The playroom, designed as a nurturing space for local children in their earliest developmental years, honors the memory of John Rankin Horan and Helen Vandevor Horan, whose family has deep roots in the Chelan Valley dating back to the late 1800s.
A Legacy of Community Service
The Horan family’s connection to the region spans generations. John Rankin Horan was born in 1898 in a historic cabin that the family had purchased in 1896. That same cabin later became the birthplace of Walt Horan, who would go on to serve as a U.S. Congressman representing Chelan County from 1943 to 1965.
Helen Horan, who lived to be 101 years old, was known for her active community involvement and philanthropic spirit. As an apple orchardist residing in Wenatchee, she embodied the agricultural heritage that has long defined the region. Family members described Helen as a beloved matriarch who maintained close ties with her younger sisters and brother and played a crucial role in keeping the family tightly knit across generations.
In the late 1940s, John purchased acreage at Fields Point as a family retreat for fishing and gathering. Over the following four decades, the family parceled out portions of this land to aunts and other family members, creating a multi-generational compound where descendants continue to gather today.
Connecting Past and Present
The decision to support the Lake Chelan Community Center came naturally to the Horan descendants, who were seeking a project that would honor their parents’ and grandparents’ values of community service and support for local families.
“We found it on Facebook and got involved because we’ve seen how community centers change lives,” said Erin Shagren, granddaughter of John and Helen Horan, who spearheaded the family’s involvement with the project.
The playroom’s design reflects the family’s deep connection to the area’s natural beauty and agricultural heritage, featuring artwork that celebrates the region’s orchard traditions and fishing culture, which drew the Horans to establish their family retreat.
Early Childhood Development
The John and Helen Horan Indoor Playroom now serves as a dedicated space for local children during their crucial early developmental years. The facility represents the Seven Acres Foundation’s commitment to providing comprehensive community resources that support families across all life stages.
The historic Horan cabin, which witnessed the birth of future Congressman Walt Horan, was later disassembled, transported, and rebuilt through the efforts of Cashmere Explorer Post #88, with furnishings provided by Horan family members. This preservation effort exemplifies the family’s ongoing dedication to maintaining connections between past and present generations.
The August 9th dedication ceremony celebrated not only the opening of this new community resource but also the continuation of a family legacy that has been intertwined with the Chelan Valley for more than a century.
About the Lake Chelan Community Center
The Lake Chelan Community Center, operated by the Seven Acres Foundation, provides vital community resources and programming for residents of the Chelan Valley. The addition of the John and Helen Horan Indoor Playroom expands the center’s capacity to serve families with young children. It reinforces its mission to support community members across all stages of life.
Media Contacts:
Lake Chelan Community Center: Maribel Cruz
Phone: (509) 289-9272,
Email: maribel@chelancommunity.org
Seven Acres Foundation board member and granddaughter of John and Helen Horan, Erin Shagren, with Board President Brooke Isaak, before the dedication ceremony on Saturday, August 9th.
Doug McDougall of East Wenatchee shares stories from his memories of his grandparents, John and Helen Horan.
Approximately 40 family members, including fifth-generation descendants of John and Helen Horan, attended the private ceremony dedicating the new indoor playroom at the Lake Chelan Community Center on Saturday evening. Attendees traveled from all parts of Washington and as far away as Scottsdale, Arizona, to attend the event.
The play areas were designed to reflect the legacy of John and Helen Horan. They include a fishing boat, an apple tree, and a playful bear in the woods. The children love it!