The family of late Pennsylvania Gov. George M. Leader announced they will be pledging $400,000 to name a senior center expected to move into the new Hershey Community Center.
Michael Leader, CEO and president of Country Meadows Retirement Communities based in Derry Township, said his family wanted to sponsor the Mohler Senior Center in the name of their parents.
“Our parents were in the profession of providing assistance and care for older persons for over 50 years since 1962,” Leader said, adding that a name for the center has yet to be decided. “This commitment is a fitting tribute to their contributions both to the Hershey community as well as the senior living profession.”
The senior center opened at its current location in 1983 to provide Hershey-area seniors with physical exercise, social opportunities and educational courses. It will finish its current lease in 2020, then move to the $32 million Hershey Community Center, planned to open the same year.
Melissa Weigle, executive director for the senior center, said the organization was honored to be sponsored by the Leader family as it moves to the new building.
“We look forward to a wonderful partnership that helps keep people over the age of 50 physically active, mentally stimulated and independent for as long as possible,” Weigle said.
The senior center’s board has also announced that it will provide $100,000 to the new community center, to name a new banquet room in the memory of the Mohler family.
The new Hershey Community Center was approved by Derry Township’s board of supervisors during a meeting early in October. Along with the senior center, it will include three swimming pools, an indoor walking track, a fitness center, a full-sized gym and a café.
