BOZEMAN — You may recall a story we told you about around a month ago where The Rock, a popular hangout spot for high schoolers around Bozeman, had to shut down abruptly due to a burst pipe. Now, the staff is excited to announce they’re reopening just in time for Valentine's Day.
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“It feels like the lights finally came on. The sun rose. It feels so happy to finally come in here and have it feel normal,” Janet Pannell tells me.
Pannell is a co-director of The Rock Youth Center, which has been a popular and safe place for high schoolers in the Bozeman area to hang out since it opened in 2005. But about a month ago, Janet walked into a nightmare scene: a burst pipe and flooded floors.
“That morning was terrible. My first thought was like, get the water out, let's clean it up. And as we started looking around, it just became more and more severe. It was heartbreaking,” Janet recalls.
An espresso machine filter blew clean off. Water pouring out of the wall. The result? This high school hangout, conveniently located across the street from Bozeman High School, remained empty for about a month.
“The really hard part for us was the first few days after we had to close, the kids were still coming up to the door wanting to come in and just hang out and chat. They really did not care if we fed them or if there was furniture,” Janet explains.
Because The Rock is a staple for most high schoolers in the area. So, when word spread that the Rock was in need?
“We had donations to help us rebuild from Michigan, Nebraska, Washington—it was really incredible," says Janet.
WATCH PREVIOUS: The Rock looks to community for help to reopen after flooding
When The Rock initially posted its GoFundMe, they surpassed their donation goal within 48 hours. By the end of the week, they were able to raise nearly $10,000.
“The fact that they were able to fund us within basically a week meant that we knew we could have this done as quickly as possible. It took all the stress off and let us focus on the execution of getting reopened. So, the community is a lifesaver,” Janet says.
After drying everything out, replacing three layers of flooring, and deep cleaning all the furniture, The Rock is fully functional and ready to reopen—just in time for Valentine's Day.
“Isn’t that such perfect timing? I love that we’re open on Valentine's Day. Our primary mission is just to invest in these kids' lives and just, love them! So being able to re-open on Valentine's Day just seems so poignant,” Janet tells me.
Janet says she’s excited to see all the kids she’s been missing this past month. The Rock will be cooking up special heart-shaped sugar cookies and handing out free shirts to welcome everyone back.
