Kroc History:

Joan and Ray were long-time supporters of The Salvation Army. For two decades, Ray Kroc volunteered as a bell ringer, and would deliver hot coffee and hamburgers from his Golden Arches restaurant to The Salvation Army bell ringers along Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago. As a child, Joan Kroc heard her family talk about the wonderful work The Salvation Army had done to help people during the depression. Mrs. Kroc was so moved by the words of her family that, as an adult, she resolved to help The Salvation Army. In the 1990s she donated more than $90 million to establish the first Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center in San Diego. That center opened in 2002 and has had a wonderful impact on the surrounding community.

In 2004, Joan Kroc bequeathed a gift to The Salvation Army in excess of $1.5 billion of matching funds for the construction of Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Centers across the United States. After undergoing a rigorous application and selection process, Memphis became eligible to receive a matching gift from the Kroc Trust in order to build a Kroc Center.

Kroc Funding:

After undergoing a rigorous application and selection process, Memphis became eligible to receive a matching gift from the Kroc Trust to build a Kroc Center. After raising $25 million locally, the Kroc Trust gave an additional $60 million. Ground was broken in early spring 2010.

Description:

"An exceptional facility with exceptional service."

Scheduled for completion in Fall 2012, The Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center is a 100,000-square-foot recreation, education, worship and arts center. It will be open to member and the general public, and will offer a variety of programs. The Kroc campus includes:

Unique Features:

• This is a privately funded, proactive step by The Salvation Army to promote healthy living in order to reduce the need for reactive programs for societal ills.
• The Kroc Center will be an integral part of the community, partnering and collaborating with multiple community partners. It will be a place where residents can gather for many activities and needs or becoming involved for planning on new ones.

Programs

To learn more, visit the Kroc website: www.krocmemphis.org