
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — Rock House Kids on Friday celebrated the culmination of a four-year campaign to give youth a better and brighter place to play and learn.
The nonprofit, which works to give kids ages 6-18 a safe environment four evenings a week, completed renovations to former industrial space at its home on Seventh Street for a new activity center, three new classrooms, and a lounge-type recreation area with with games and a little library.
“It’s been a long time coming. The kids can’t wait to get in here,” said Dee Lacny, executive director of Rock House Kids, 1325 Seventh St. “It kind of feels like a dream. I’m kind of pinching myself. When we started we’re like, is this even going to happen? Is it ever going to happen? And now it’s here.”
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The activity center is a multipurpose room with two basketball hoops installed so far and two more coming. There will also be a projector and screen that allows the nonprofit to hold movie nights. Nearly 10,000 square feet of the former Midwest Scale was remodeled, going from dim and rugged industrial space to an inviting play area.
The recreation room has games such as fusbol, carpetball and popshot, along with high tables for studying or playing board games and a little library in the hallway leading to the space.
“We want to get books in their hands, we even have a little reading chair to kind of bribe them to sit and read,” Lacny said.
The $840,000 project was paid for through donations, including a $250,000 state Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity grant secured by state Rep. Maurice West. The work was handled by Midwest Construction of Northern Illinois.
“This is really the community’s,” Lacny said. “If it wasn’t for the community and organizations and grants we would not be where we are today and we wouldn’t be able to give the kids something special.”

Rock House Kids provides free evening programming, mentoring, hot meals, take-home food and daily essentials to about 225 youth on four evenings a week. As word spread about the new center, more interest in participation came from teens, Lacny said. Already the evening participation has gone from about 12 to 47 teens.
“Everything is about safety and getting the teens off the street,” Lacny said.
The nonprofit provides programming for first through fifth graders on Monday and Wednesday evenings and serves sixth through 12th graders on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.
Lacny said the long-term goal is to be able to serve all age groups four nights a week. The newly renovated space will allow for that to happen, but Lacny said more volunteers will be needed before it can be offered.
The new activity center is named for longtime supporters and significant donors Marlene and Romayne Little. The couple was to choose a name for the facility, but Romayne died in March 2023 and Marlene died this past April before the couple had selected the name, Lacny said.
It’s being called The Littles’ Big Gym in their honor.
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas