A community centre is more than a sheet of ice or a basketball court. It is where kids form bonds that last a life time, parents cheer alongside others, and families grow closer together.

It is the heartbeat of a community.

One man understands this and does anything he can to make sure the beat keeps going at the Crescentwood and Sir John Franklin community centre sites.

Randy Way is the facility supervisor for both locations but you would think his title is cruise director by the way he runs his "ships." No matter what the request, Randy is there to make it happen.

"If someone comes here and wants to skate, I will find them skates. If they want to play basketball, I will open the gym. Need a table to play cards, I can easily set-one up. Whatever anyone wants, I will do anything in my power to make it happen," Randy said.

It’s this attitude that has caught the attention of everyone who walks into the centre — from the young kids playing out in the field to the regular groups that utilize the facility for activities such as bingo — they all know that Randy is there to make their experience happen, to make it better.

"Randy is a key player on my team," said Abbie Bajon, manager of program services for Central Corydon Community Centre, which oversees the operations of the two sites.

"His gruff laugh echo’s throughout the centre and brings an infectious smile to everyone around him. The groups love working with him because he is so easy to work with and genuinely wants to help them in any way they can — even in ways they haven’t thought of!"
With Central Corydon Community Centre for just over two years, Randy is now on his second life after spending the previous one as a long-haul truck driver. When the facility supervisor position became available he jumped at the opportunity to give back to his community and to make an impact in the lives of others.

"My goal is to make someone else’s day which may just mean greeting someone with ‘hello darling’ or moving boxes for the quilting ladies, but the result is always the same — I make their day," he said.

Randy touches the lives of more than 300 people on any given week. He knows the kids, the families, and they know him by name. One young brother and sister duo commented that Randy is nice and generous while the other appreciates he is always there to tie his skates.

"I love coming to work as I never know who I might get to help," he continued. "It was an in-service the other day and there were tons of kids just hanging around outside. I yelled for them to come in, opened one of the multi-function rooms, gave them hockey sticks and let them play."

Glynora Dudar, manager of the Crescentwood Boxing Club commented, "Randy has made a personal impact on our program. Time and time again he has shown that we aren’t just an independent group using space in the centre but rather we are a special part of the overall programming," she said.

Whether just stopping by the community centre for a short time or coming back time and time again, Randy will undoubtedly have made sure your time was the best it could have been.

Regardless of what you need, next time you are at Crescentwood or Sir John Franklin community centres, be sure to ask for your local cruise director, Randy Way.

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Congratulations to Central Corydon Community Centre’s under-9 boys indoor soccer team which won a city championship this past week. Beating out some stiff competition, the boys, many of whom were playing for the first time, showed true spirit and skill.

Led by long-time coach Reno Augellone and assistant Tony Tesoro, the two loved having an opportunity to shape young minds and develop raw skills.

"Kids at this age play for the love of the game. They are like sponges full of passion."

Augellone said. "It was fun and exciting to be a part of a winning team!"

Carolyne Braid is a community correspondent for Crescentwood. You can reach her at carolyne@polefitcanada.ca.