Welcoming Christopher Gentry

Chris Gentry

Please help us welcome Christopher M. Gentry as Kettunen Center director. Gentry succeeds John Grix who served as Kettunen Center’s director since 1988. Chris comes to the Michigan 4-H Foundation from service as executive director of the Oliver Art Center in Frankfort. He brings 25 years of non-profit organizational leadership and management experience serving local YMCAs in a variety of roles including managing a 180-acre facility in Ohio. He recently served as executive director of a $6.5 million YMCA facility in Cadillac with responsibility for building capacity to deliver program and funding which led to completing the construction and opening the facility. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Park and Recreation Administration from Michigan State University. If you are at Kettunen Center in the coming months, please take a moment to welcome Chris to Kettunen Center and Michigan 4-H.

Save the Date for our Summer Events

Summer Family Water Fest - June 9

Start your summer with a family fishing trip to Kettunen Center. Saturday June 9th, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., join the Summer Family Water Fest to enjoy shoreline and pontoon boat fishing on Center Lake. Basic fishing skills will be taught with a prize for the largest fish caught. Center Lake is great habitat for Yellow Perch, Bluegill, Largemouth Bass and this year the Michigan Department of Natural Resources fish-stocked the lake with Rainbow Trout. Enjoy paddling a kayak or canoe and watch Common Loons diving for fish and Great Blue Herons hunting for frogs. Basic boating instruction provided. Other Summer Family Water Fest activities include watercolor art, and water team games. The cost of the event is $4.00 per person or “fill the boat” with five or more family members and only pay $3.00 a person.

Registration deadline June 7th. To register call Kettunen Center at (231)829-3421. Funding for the event is provided by the Osceola County Community Foundation.

Learning Science Through the Arts Camp - July 8-11

Kettunen Center has a summer camp for kids, 9-14 years old from July 8-11, 2012!  It is the 20th year for the Learning Science through the Arts Youth Camp. This year the camp will focus on Games around the World: Our window into other cultures! Campers will learn games, songs, dances, art, sports, traditions and culture of people that live in Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Latin America. Different cultural food preferences and lifestyle practices will be explored through hands-on geography and science activities. Campers will also enjoy fishing, swimming and boating on Center Lake, disc golf, campfires and much more.

Registration deadline July 1st. To register, visit Kettunen Center online at  www.kettunencenter.org for a camp brochure and registration form or call Kettunen Center at (231)829-3421.

Camp scholarships funded by Mecosta-Osceola United Way are available for local families.

5K Green Trail Run/Walk - Aug. 11

If you enjoy a challenge Kettunen Center is hosting the 2nd annual 5K Green Trail Run/Walk event, August 11, 2012. The course is not your average 5K. We have it all- hills, flats, woods, lakeshore and fields! We will have medals for the top three in each age group and a trophy for overall fastest male and female runner, plus Masters Runner. T-shirts will be given to the first 50 registrants. Start time is 9:00am. Registration begins at 8 a.m. The race begins at 9 a.m.

Cost is $15 before Aug. 8 and $20 day of the race. To register visit Kettunen Center at, www.kettunencenter.org for the registration form or call (231)829-3421.