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Walk down the street and take a poll. Chances are, it won’t take very long to realize with how influential they’ve been. So influential that their name needs no introduction. All you have do is spell four letters and the rest will follow….L…A…R…A.

Each year, the formula remains the same. Thousands of kids, thousands of volunteers, and thousands of hours volunteering. The end result has mirrored their goal since LARA started in March of 1973. It’s for the kids. And in this case, for the kids, kids.

“It’s really amazing that a nonprofit organization, an all volunteer organization, has lasted that long,” said Arlo Sanvick, former President of LARA. “I attribute it to all of the volunteers, the people who have been willing to do a lot of work for basically nothing. That’s the way this area has been. That’s what’s made LARA so successful.”

Successful might rank up with commitment when it comes to the mother of all understatements. LARA offers programs in five different sports with another on the way. Already on the list is baseball, softball, flag football, soccer, and basketball. For the first time, volleyball will be coming this fall.

Easily, the biggest endeavor LARA takes on is their summer program of baseball and softball. The seasons run from the end of May to the middle of July, giving over 900 kids an opportunity to play, and more importantly, learn the sport. All of the teams are coached by volunteers, all of the fields are maintained by volunteers. If that wasn’t overwhelming enough, each team is furnished with equipment, all of that for an average of $25-35 a player. In volleyball and soccer, the average price also hovers around the $25 range, and in flag football, the average price is only $20 per child.

“We get our money through registration fees, city donations, and pull-tabs,” mentioned Sanvick. “That helps us keep our costs down. Our costs for our kids is a whole lot less than say a Forest Lake for example because we do have gambling. I’d say it costs $25-35 for each kid to participate, whereas the same program at Forest Lake costs each kid $100-150. We try and make it very affordable for everyone, and still, we never turn a kid away if the family can’t afford it.”

“With every sport, our registration fees basically pay for the sport with the exception of baseball,” added Rick Duncan, president of LARA. “With baseball, we’re always $8,000-9,000 over budget on baseball because we want to keep the price down for baseball. That’s where we need that gambling money.”

Which is one of the main reasons why their numbers seem to get bigger and bigger every year. Throw in soccer, flag football, and basketball, and in a year’s time, it is estimated that LARA draws over 1,500 participants. Those types of numbers are hard to ignore.

“LARA is special because all of our activities basically run back-to-back-to-back. The kids can experience all of the sports,” replied Duncan. “Today, so many kids focus on just one sport and that’s it. With LARA, kids can experience everything, they get an opportunity to do that without paying a lot of money.”

“LARA is affordable and available to everybody. Geographically we cover from Taylors Falls to Wyoming,” added Scott Bakken, one of 15 LARA Board of Directors. “LARA has really branded itself pretty good over the years, we have a good reputation.”

Solid Reputation

There’s a reason for their solid reputation, There’s a reason why they’ve been able to operate for more than 30 years. All you need to do is read the mission statement on their website to understand why.

“The Lakes Area Recreation Association (LARA) provides the opportunity for school-age Chisago Lakes-area children to experience affordable, supervised sports activities.”

Or, if you want to hear it another way, listen to Sharon Lee, another LARA board member.

“We’re out there giving everyone that first time opportunity,” said Lee. “It gives everyone a chance to experience it, and if they like it, hopefully they can go to that next level. It’s all about the kids. If it’s good for the kids, it’s good for the community and it’s a win-win situation.”

“I hope that LARA can foster long term healthy lifestyle choices, teach skills, and have kids learn what working as a team is all about,” added Bakken. “Teamwork along with winning and losing are apart of a kids growth.”

In short, in a day and age where sports suffers, or often gives a black eye, LARA continues to move forward with the best interest of the community at heart. It’s what keeps the 15-member Board of Directors going. It’s what keeps the volunteers going, and it definitely keeps the kids coming, and that is the ultimate goal.

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To contact LARA, call 651-257-3666, or check them out on line at www.lakesarearec.org. Volleyball is scheduled to begin this September. The program will be run for third through sixth graders. Registration is available at Brink’s Market.

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