Cleveland Community Comes Together for Second Annual EJ Kovacic Rec Center Celebration Despite Rain

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Despite rainy skies over Cleveland Thursday morning, the second annual community event at the EJ Kovacic Recreation Center saw strong attendance as residents gathered to celebrate neighborhood pride, local entrepreneurship, and accessible community resources. The event, held at the historic and newly renovated rec center, featured nonprofit outreach, youth programs, and small business showcases.

The EJ Kovacic Recreation Center recently underwent a significant renovation aimed at modernizing the historic facility while expanding its offerings to better serve the community. The updates include improvements to the pool, new fitness and cardio rooms, an eSports gaming space, and updated common areas. The renovation was part of a broader city effort to revitalize community hubs across Cleveland, ensuring residents of all ages have access to safe, inclusive, and engaging public spaces.

Tabatha Ivory, Center Manager of the EJ Kovacic Rec Center, said the event’s inaugural success led to its return. “Let’s continue this on an annual basis,” Ivory recalled saying after last year’s success. She emphasized the importance of connecting residents with services and building lasting relationships with the center itself. “First I would like to get them engaged with the community partners to get to know what they have available in their community, and then I would like them to develop relationships with the recreation center,” she said. The facility now includes a weight room, cardio room, pool, eSports room, and a lunch program for children, along with on-site social support specialists to assist with housing, utility needs, and other services.

Among the participating organizations was Teen Enterprise, a youth-focused program described by Ivory as a “Shark Tank for teens,” and the Workmen's Circle, a 125-year-old secular nonprofit known for its social action initiatives. Neal Grossman, chairman of the Workmen's Circle, addressed common misconceptions about activism. “Everybody thinks, when you talk about social action, that you're walking around with picket signs and you're trying to overthrow the government; that's not what we're doing. We're trying to HELP the community,” he said.

Grossman, who also owns an auction company, saw the event as an ideal platform to extend the Workmen's Circle's mission. Upon learning about the gathering, he pooled his personal and professional resources to contribute. His company, Grossman Inc., joined him in volunteering to distribute household goods to attendees in need. Grossman’s team helped manage the giveaway of returned, discounted, and discontinued merchandise obtained from Amazon through partnerships with distributors. “The community has been good to us, now we're going to give back to them and that's what it's all about,” he said.

Making its debut at the event was The Foundry, a nonprofit that introduces Northeast Ohio youth to rowing and sailing. Rowing coach Izraa Rosa said the group often works in rec centers with indoor pools to help kids safely explore water sports. “This is the second year of this event, but this is our first year here. This is the type of stuff that is part of our mission,” he said. Rosa emphasized accessibility and representation in recreational activities. “A lot of kids that are in the St. Clare/Superior area have never been exposed to watersports before... we just want kids to feel like all of our programming is accessible to them.”

Local small businesses were also highlighted, including a balloon and charcuterie venture run by sisters Tanesha Dent and Latisha Cammon. Their booth captured attention with its colorful and artistic display. “Seeing people smile. I love when everybody's happy and my sister loves when everybody is happy,” Dent said. She described the importance of shared joy in community events. “Unity is everything; everybody getting together to support each other and having a good time. Life is hard enough... being able to laugh, smile, eat and have fun; it's everything.”

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