ALTON - The Riverbender.com Community Center will again open its doors to 5th - 9th grade students for their Friday Night Open Play beginning February 4th, 2022 from 6:30 - 10:00 p.m. and each Friday forward.

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The Riverbender.com Community Center (RBCC) located at 200 W. 3rd Street in Alton has been closed due to the pandemic for nearly two years.

The Board of Advisors have put many safety measures in place to ensure that children attending will be able to enjoy the facility with minimal concern.

  • Number of attendees will be limited. We will be limiting the attendance at all of our events – a necessary step in following pandemic health guidelines. Limited tickets are available and all families are strongly advised to purchase tickets in advance each week so that the number of children in the facility can be monitored.

Families can register and pre-purchase their tickets here: https://riverbendercommunitycenter.org/tickets

  • Cleaning protocols will be implemented. The RBCC will open its doors 30 minutes later than in past years to ensure volunteers can sanitize all games, tables, remotes, etc. prior to children arriving. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. Surfaces will be sanitized throughout the evening, as well.
  • Temperatures will be taken at the door. Anyone with a fever or visible symptoms will not be allowed in.
  • Kids must wear masks at all times while in the Center. Children who do not have a mask will not be admitted and any child who refuses to wear a mask will be sent home.

"Families continually ask our team when we would again offer our popular Friday Night Open Play events," said Lucinda Lowe, RBCC Board President, "Our volunteers are extremely excited to open our doors again on Friday, February 4th."

The only community event that occurred at the Center in 2021 was the Holiday Open House $25,000 Toy Give-Away where hundreds of parents and children attended, met Santa Claus, and picked a gift to take home. The Center, however, has been open for the past few months for private rentals such as birthday parties, showers, etc., and will continue to do so.

“Our children’s social opportunities have been limited for the past few years due to Covid and our team has implemented protocols similar to our schools in order to put the safety of our kids up front,” said Lowe. “We are ready to start having some fun!”

Volunteers are always needed. We use signup genius to schedule and track volunteers. Click here to signup as a volunteer or contact Daniel Nosce at (618) 530-7291 if you have an interest in becoming part of our volunteer team. The Center would love to have you!

Visit https://riverbendercommunitycenter.org/ for more information.