SHOP LOCAL FIRST presents OUR SECOND BUSINESS VENDOR STORY KIDZ ZONE https://facebook/KidzZoneBrookings “Kids need a place where kids can be kids. Parents need a place to let them be kids and interact with other parents!” says Tami Wilson Martin owner of the Kidz Zone Play & Party Center. “Ive tried very hard to put together a business that will support our youth, our families, our community and local businesses without creating competition. We are such a small community that we dont need to compete with each other, lets just keep adding things we dont have. I believe that small businesses are the foundation for a successful community. We, as small business, have an obligation to create something that the community needs and wants. If we build something that answers the needs the community, they will support us. We just need to be willing to listen and respond to their wishes, not just our own.” Tami has always embraced the local business/vendor community philosophy and has incorporated it into her life. She explained her enthusiasm for a community that is locally-focused, “Since the mid 90s, Ive been involved in advertising for small local business. In 2005, I started my own advertising consulting agency that specialized in small business development. I was a guest speaker for the small business development center in Roseburg teaching a seminar on how to use advertising to grow a small local business. After almost 10 years, my husband and I, along with our 2 daughters, decided to relocate from Roseburg to Brookings. Our oldest son had graduated from high school and headed into the Army. My husband worked for his family-run furniture store and had been commuting to Crescent City for a few years. It was time to move the family. After many years of visiting Brookings with our children, the one thing that kept coming up was that if it was raining there just wasnt anything for the kids to do. The parks here are wonderful, but when the weather is bad there aren’t many options to children or families to be active. I really believe that kids without anything to do, will find something to do, and sometimes that something is not good for them! I really wanted to have the opportunity to get involved with a business that would fill a hole in our community. I knew we needed something for our kids to do and as a mother; I wanted to begin something that would keep me involved with my own children as well. I had a friend who owned this business in Roseburg. She was ready to move on and do something new and conveniently so was I! So, I bought the Kidz Zone business. I had the business long before I had a space for it!” Tami went on to tell me that “The opportunity came to me to buy Kidz Zone and bring it here, and I just knew that I had to. Kids need a place where kids can be kids. Parents need a place to let them be kids and interact with other parents! I was ready to give up and not buy the business when someone suggested the old skating rink. It was obviously in poor condition, but it was large enough and in a great location for this type of business. I knew that I wanted not only a play center, but also enough space for expansion; for hosting events and promotions for kids and their parents. People werent totally convinced that this old skating rink building could be brought back to life, but I had a vision.” Tami committed to buy the business prior to locating the building. She committed to buying Kidz Zone in November of 2012. With her family, she relocated to Brookings in January of 2013. She actually found the building in April 2013, and then took possession of the building on May 1st, 2013. She and her family spent 7 intense weeks working on the building and finally opened the doors for Open Play in mid June of 2013. In addition to creating this kids can be kids environment, Tami knew that she wanted to continue to give other people the opportunity to achieve their own business dreams. Tami stated, “We redesigned the front entrance to create the kitchen to give Nicole Duarte with Cake It Up the opportunity to pursue her talents of cake making and design. We also created a ‘multi-purpose’ room for people to rent in order to pursue their own business dreams as well. Weve had exercise classes, martial arts classes, as well as the brand new after school program. Kung Fu classes opened in October of 2013 in Studio K, and THE CAKERY opened in April of 2014 when the kitchen became licensed. The afterschool program began in September 2014. All of these ideas have been started by local people with their own big visions of local business.” At Kidz Zone, kids are able to play in a secure and clean environment and parents can relax knowing that their kids are safe. In addition to the exercise classes, martial arts classes, and the after school program the space is being used for fun events and promotions for children in our community. All classes, lessons, programs, and activities are designed to provide interaction between children to help them develop social skills, problem solving skills, and just plain old exercise. Tami explains, In this way, we are encouraging children to get away from the TV screen and begin to develop healthy habits that include physical activity. It was also really important that we create some exercise opportunities for our community parents. We parents tend to take care of our own needs last, and with none of the gyms offering childcare, it is really difficult for them to take care of themselves by being more active. The Kidz Zone is currently offering open play time for kids 3 days per week, birthday party options 7 days a week, a Monday - Friday after school program, exercise classes with childcare 2 days per week as well as custom cakes and deserts for any special occasion. Kidz Zone hosts CPR classes, a weight loss support group, and many more classes are being considered. In addition, KZ will be hosting a monthly promotion that will offer an activity for elementary school - middle school children, such as karaoke and also dances for that age group. What Tami wants people to know: “I want people to know that we are a constant work in progress and we are constantly adding to our list of activities to keep things fresh and interesting for our kids. We encourage healthy movement and social interaction. If you dont see something that you like one month, check us out the next month because there will always be something new happening. We even have a pickle ball group that play every Sunday and they are always looking for new players to join them.” Tami invites you and your family to join them at the KIDZ ZONE 745 Railroad Street, Brookings, OR 97415 (541) 813-2235
Posted on: Mon, 19 Jan 2015 06:35:54 +0000
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