After eight years of planning, lobbying, and building the Ely Youth Facility was finally opened on December 19th! Kids and adults from all over the range came to the event for food, ping pong, pool, boot hockey, and much much more. Dedications were made to all who were involved in planning, lobbying, and building the wonderful facility. It was a load off of all their shoulders and a great accomplishment to see the building completed. The building went far beyond any of their expectations.

Throughout the day, the ping pong and pool table were in constant use, the bean bag chair was filled with at least five people, the three televisions were being used for Wii tournaments, and the skating rink was never left empty. Some kids participated in a boot hockey tournament where teams of six battled for victory. Nobody was hungry during the day because of the endless amounts of soup, chilli, hot dogs, and hamburgers made by Iron Range Youth in Action families. The refrigerators were stocked with a large variety of drinks, and there were plenty of snacks for all to enjoy. All of the food and drinks were donated by local companies and families. The facility would not have been possible without the many donations and hours of volunteer work.

The day ended with a dance held for seventh through twelfth graders across the range. It was a great turnout and everyone was on the dance floor enjoying themselves. From eight to eleven thirty the building was blasting a variety of songs that everyone enjoyed.

The event was a huge success. The day was filled with fun and entertainment and everyone who stopped by enjoyed the building. People around town are excited to use the building for events in the future.