A Place Where Belonging Begins

When you talk with people who’ve built their lives in the Chelan Valley, you discover stories that begin in unexpected ways. Some start with family roots. Others with opportunity. And then there are stories like Rhett Crow’s—stories that start with a whim, turn into a home, and ultimately reveal why places like these matter more than we realize. His journey is the kind you lean in to hear, because it says something about all of us.

When Rhett first rolled into Chelan at 21 years old, he wasn’t following a plan. He wasn’t chasing a job, a market, or an opportunity. He was following a feeling.

“I literally just showed up,” he says. One chance encounter at a local restaurant led to a move the very next day—his clothes packed in the car, his hopes tucked somewhere in between. It was the kind of small-town moment that changes the direction of a life. And for Rhett, it did.

He spent those early years scraping by, serving tables, saving every dollar, and learning what makes this valley special: people who welcome you in, insist you do your best, and expect you to give back when you can.

Those early friendships became anchors. Mentors pulled him into their circle. And the young man who arrived on a whim built a life here—married, raised a family, and eventually became the top-producing real estate agent in the county.

“All of that happened because people were willing to let me in,” he says. “It made all the difference.”

A Town That Needs More Spaces for Kids to Grow

Now a father of four, Rhett sees Chelan through a parent’s eyes—through packed gym schedules, late-night practices, and young athletes trying to squeeze into limited spaces.

His daughter’s basketball team practices wherever the district can find room: cafeterias with fold-up tables, small half-courts, even cold warehouse floors in Manson lit by two buzzing bulbs.

“We take what we can get,” Rhett says. “But it’s not ideal. And we’re way down the pecking order.”

Between school sports, the Chelan Basketball Association, youth volleyball, indoor training, and the Boys & Girls Club, hundreds of kids need gym time. There simply isn’t enough space.

That’s why Rhett was stunned the first time he stood inside the unfinished gym at the Lake Chelan Community Center.

“Even as a shell,” he says, “it’s better than what we just came from.”

For him, completing the gym isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity.

“It’s critical. It’s 100% critical.”

A Center Built to Bring People Together

Rhett believes The Community Center is becoming something this town has needed for decades: a bridge, a gathering place, and a hub for families.

Not just for sports.

Not just for kids.

For everyone.

And this year marks a milestone: construction begins on both the new gym and the Performing Arts Center—a dual project that will reshape what’s possible in the valley.

Basketball. Volleyball. Tournaments. Training.

Concerts. Dance. Theatre. Community productions.

A full stage. Professional audio. A place to gather, celebrate, learn, and perform.

The gym and PAC together represent the next chapter—one that will expand opportunity for youth and adults alike and create a future home for the arts, athletics, and community life.

The Impact Still to Come

For Rhett, the real story isn’t just about courts or stages. It’s about what happens when people finally have the space to thrive.

“When the gym is built,” he says, “the number of people who walk through those doors every year is going to explode. That changes everything.”

He believes The Community Center will become a catalyst—one that lifts families, expands programs, and opens doors for the next generation of Chelan kids.

“It’s going to make a huge difference,” he says. “You’re going to feel it.”

A Story About Belonging

Rhett’s journey is, in many ways, a Chelan story:

• Unexpected beginnings.
• People helping people.
• A community that becomes family.

He supports The Community Center because it reflects the very thing that brought him here all those years ago—connection, belonging, and the chance for young people to find their place in this valley, just like he did.

And now, with construction on the gym and Performing Arts Center underway, the valley is stepping into its next chapter—one built on vision, generosity, and the belief that we are better when we’re connected.

To make a tax-deductible contribution, visit our fundraising page or contact Executive Director Maribel Cruz at maribel@chelancommunity.org.