TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa trailblazers celebrated a big win in youth development Tuesday and they did it with Tampa Mayor Jane Castor’s blessing.


What You Need To Know

  • The Skills Center is developing a $13 million dollar youth center at 5107 N 22nd Street in Tampa.

  • A number of groups donated to the project, including the Toronto Raptors basketball team.

  • The new facility will allow them to serve at least 3,500 kids a year.

The Skills Center is moving forward on a $13 million dollar state-of-the-art youth center in Hillsborough County.

Several local organizations put money in the pot to make this happen. The vice president of the Skills center and former professional athlete, Chris Ward showed me a check from the Toronto Raptors basketball team for $350,000.

“Right now we’re at the groundbreaking for the Skills Center. This will be the new facility,” said Ward. “We’ve been helping these kids through academic programs for over 20 years.”

The Skills Center offers dozens of programs to the youth that target reading, writing, tech and sports.  The new facility will allow them to serve at least 3,500 kids a year.

City leaders like Mayor Jane Castor and several other supporters attended the event to congratulate Ward and his team for their work.

“We even have some kids from the youth program we started in 2000 here, which is amazing,” said Ward. They’re close to 40 now but to us their still kids that we had an impact on their life and now we’re impacting their kids which is a blessing.”

Several people took the mic, to share their appreciation for th program or give insight to what it took to make it all happen.

The program’s President, Celeste Roberts said The Skills Center’s overall goal is to close the gap between success and failure for kids who come from less fortunate backgrounds.

“Thank you to everyone for being here,” said Roberts. “My heart runs over, I am so thankful; this is my passion and my purpose. I believe this is why God put me on earth.”

Roberts and her team have rented buildings and rooms to implement their program but now, years later – they have a building of their own.

“We’ve never been one to receive, we’re givers,” said Ward. “Just to see a kid or adult come out and gain opportunity and be impacted by something we helped them with is motivation.”

The new Skills Center is located at 5107 N 22nd Street in Tampa. Doors will open to the community Fall 2022.

Click here to learn more about the program and how you can help.