Lake Chelan Community Center Fully Matches $2 Million Challenge, Marking Historic Milestone for the Project
Tom and Meg Names Foundation Makes a New Year’s Eve Pledge That Puts Fourth Quarter Fundraising Effort Over the Top.
The Lake Chelan Community Center has reached a major milestone, successfully completing a $2 million matching fund and closing out the year with an extraordinary show of community support.
The match was fulfilled on New Year’s Eve, capping a fourth quarter defined not by a single moment, but by sustained momentum—online gifts arriving daily, a sold-out Golden Hour Gala, and hundreds of people inspired by the opportunity to have their donations doubled.
Launched in early October, the $2 million matching fund was made possible by the generosity of Tim and Kristy Turner and quickly became a powerful catalyst for participation across the Chelan Valley and beyond.
In total, 142 individuals, families, and organizations made 154 contributions during the matching period, responding through online campaigns, event giving, mailed contributions, and personal conversations — all driven by a shared belief in the importance of a place designed to serve the entire community.
“This was never about one gift,” said Brooke Isaak, President of the Board for the Seven Acres Foundation and the Lake Chelan Community Center. “It was about participation—people at every level seeing an opportunity to make their generosity go further and stepping forward together.”
That collective effort reached its culmination in the final days of the year, when the Tom and Meg Names Foundation stepped forward to close the remaining gap and ensure the full match was realized.
“The decision to complete the match came from the same place our support has always come from,” said Erin Shagren, board member and representative of the Tom and Meg Names Foundation. “We believe deeply in this community and in what the Lake Chelan Community Center will mean for generations.”
Monica Names-King, also representing the foundation, echoed that sentiment, noting the momentum surrounding the project.
“You could feel it building,” she said. “People were excited. They understood the impact of the match and wanted to be part of something bigger than themselves.”
Unofficially, total funds raised during the fourth quarter exceeded expectations, reflecting what leaders describe as an unprecedented season of generosity and engagement.
“This moment belongs to everyone who gave, shared the message, attended an event, or encouraged someone else to participate,” Isaak added. “Every gift mattered. Every conversation mattered. Together, they brought us here.”
With the matching fund now complete, the Lake Chelan Community Center moves forward with confidence as construction begins on the gymnasium and performing arts center—an important step toward a 44,000-square-foot gathering place designed to support connection, wellness, learning, and belonging for all ages.
While this milestone marks significant progress, the work continues. Additional fundraising remains essential to fully realize the long-term vision for the Community Center and the expanded opportunities it will offer in the years ahead.
For now, the message is simple: thank you.
This success was built together—and it will be carried forward the same way.
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About Lake Chelan Community Center
The Lake Chelan Community Center is a community facility project undertaken by the Seven Acres Foundation to serve the Chelan Valley. Designed as a welcoming place for connection, wellness, learning, and belonging, The Community Center reflects a long-term investment in the health, vitality, and quality of life of the community.
About Tom and Meg Names Foundation
The Tom and Meg Names Foundation honors the lives and values of Tom and Meg Names, whose generosity, kindness, and commitment to service shaped their family and community. Guided by the belief that compassion and mercy can create meaningful change, the Foundation supports initiatives that strengthen communities and reflect their enduring spirit of care and service.