Big things are happening in Brooklyn Park, and the youth are about to receive a game-changing boost! On January 6th, 2025, a major announcement was made at the Brooklyn Park City Council meeting, marking an exciting milestone for the Zanewood Teen Center project. The Minnesota CHILL Foundation, in partnership with the Thielen Foundation, revealed a $100,000 donation to support the development of the new gymnasium and teen center at Zanewood Recreation Center. This transformative donation will help bring to life a space that will provide the community’s youth with valuable resources and opportunities to grow, learn, and succeed.
The journey to this donation began last year when Minnesota CHILL Foundation co-founder Cindy Hill invited Amy Sinclair the Executive Director of the Thielen Foundation to tour the Zanewood Recreation Center. Although the Thielen Foundation had already allocated its funding for other projects that year, Amy was deeply impressed by the center’s services and programs, recognizing its impact on the community. When the Park and Rec department were seeking outside funding for this project, it reignited our conversations with Amy, she knew they had to get involved. Two weeks later, they made a generous $100,000 donation, which will go towards funding the athletics portion of the new teen center. This new facility will not only be home to athletic programs but will also offer a range of services including arts programming, workforce development, and a tech center—all aimed at supporting Brooklyn Park’s youth.
With the announcement made official, the construction of the new Zanewood Teen Center is set to begin this spring. The $100,000 donation from the Thielen Foundation, in addition to support from the Minnesota CHILL Foundation, is pushing this project closer to its completion. The teen center will become a dedicated space for teens, ensuring they have access to the resources and programs they need to thrive. Thanks to this incredible collaboration, Brooklyn Park’s youth now have an exciting future ahead with endless possibilities!
