Merced soccer academy plans kickoff event for Stephen Leonard Park Youth Center

Merced Atlas Soccer Academy is set to celebrate the grand opening of the Stephen Leonard Park Youth Center on Saturday.

The event, featuring music, food, giveaways and more, will start at 10 a.m. at the park, 640 T St.

Rosa Barragan, a parent who volunteers with Atlas, said the group expects about 1,000 people at the public event.

“The resource center is open for the entire community,” she said.

Also planned at the free event are traditional Hmong and folklorico dances. About 25 nonprofit and other groups are scheduled to set up booths, she said.

The center will begin operating right away, she said, but classes do not officially start until Sept. 1.

The building has been painted and seen some improvements, she said, but the academy will need to do further fundraising to fill it with furniture.

Barragan said the academy is looking for ideas from residents about classes and other programs. “Everyone is welcome,” she said. “We are open to any suggestions from the community.”

The Merced City Council voted last month to award a two-year lease allowing the academy to use the Stephen Leonard Park Youth Center. The city budgeted $7,500 to cover the building’s utilities for the year.

Atlas’ track record made it a good fit for the youth center, council members said. The soccer club has been around for 15 years and has more than 1,000 children enrolled in programs, according to Barragan.

The organization plans to use the center for its soccer purposes, but also as a place to do homework. It will use the center for children younger than 5 during the day, according to its presentation to the council.

The youth center does not yet have an operating phone, but a calendar of classes will be available during the weekend event.

This story was originally published August 19, 2015 at 5:27 PM with the headline "Merced soccer academy plans kickoff event for Stephen Leonard Park Youth Center."