Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Held for Ross Boddy Neighborhood Recreation Center

For Immediate Release: Saturday, October 29, 2016

Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett, County Council President Nancy Floreen, Councilmember Nancy Navarro, District 4, Department of Recreation Director Gabe Albornoz and Department of General Services Director David Dise joined residents to celebrate the ribbon cutting for the newly renovated Ross Boddy Neighborhood Recreation Center.  The facility is located at 18529 Brooke Road in Sandy Spring.

“I am pleased to celebrate the reopening of the Ross Boddy Neighborhood Recreation Center which honors a man who worked to ensure all youth had access to quality recreation facilities,” said Leggett. “Like Ross Boddy, I believe community recreation is important and in the past 10 years, despite difficult economic conditions, we have opened 49 new County facilities, more than in the 12 years before I took office when the economy was booming. This will mark the ninth recreation facility project that has been built or renovated in the past nine years.”

The 27,400-square-foot facility features a new gymnasium, regulation-size basketball court, arts and crafts suite with a kiln, kitchen with upgraded equipment and a renovated social hall. The 8.37-acre site provides a playground and renovated soccer/softball field, volleyball court and multipurpose court that can be used for basketball and tennis. The building is built with renewable, local and recycled materials to achieve a minimum Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification.

“Recreation and parks programs and facilities are one of the things that make Montgomery County such a great place to live,” said Floreen. “This first-class renovation project greatly improves the facility; and the design provides opportunity for greater programming that will benefit our residents for many years to come.”

This newly renovated center is named in honor of Ross Boddy who served the Montgomery County community for many years as an educator and recreation leader.

“My dad would be so proud of the renovations,” said Tracy Boddy, daughter of Ross Boddy. “I wish he could be here to see that one of his dreams finally came to life.  The Sandy Spring community was his second home and love. Daddy would often talk about how the kids and families deserved to have a better community facility.  In order to honor his legacy, Sandy Spring and those who worked beside him, let’s use the Ross Boddy Neighborhood Recreation Center as often as we can!” 

At an early age, Boddy lost his father and needed to help support his family. He worked in a mill where he earned 10 cents a week. Boddy understood the importance of an education. Determined to get an education, he walked 10 miles to school every day.

As an adult, Boddy attended Bowie State University where he earned his teaching credentials. He was the principal at Sandy Spring Elementary which is the current location of the Ross Boddy Neighborhood Recreation Center.  When schools were desegregated the Department of Recreation took over the building and Boddy worked part-time with the Teen Club.

When he retired, after 38 years with Montgomery County Public Schools, he began working full time at the center.  He continued his work with teens, but his passion was running the program for senior citizens.

In 1982 the center was named the Ross Boddy Neighborhood Recreation Center and many of the programs he started will continue in thes newly renovated facility. Programing at the new center will include out-of-school youth activities, sports leagues and weight room memberships. The active adult 55+ program will be offered on Tuesday and Thursday. Open gym activities will include scheduled use for tots, youth and adults in addition to pickleball, badminton and volleyball. There will also be special events and community activities. Space will be available for rent for community use after January 1, 2017.

The construction costs for the facility were approximately $12.5 million. Grimm & Parker served as architect. The construction was done by The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company.  

For more information about Ross Boddy Neighborhood Recreation Center, call 240-777-8050.  

 

Release ID: 16-439
Media Contact: Judy Stiles 240-777-6509