By Naomi Marshall
THE youths of Victory Valley, Wismar, Linden are now wondering how they will get their assignments done after a fire destroyed the Linden Johnson Community Centre.
Orland Rogers, manager of the Pocket Rocket Boxing Gym, which is also located at the Linden Johnson Community Centre, said he received a call at about 04:14hrs on Friday, stating that the building was engulfed in flames.

Rogers noted that the cause of the fire is unknown and he is awaiting feedback from the fire service as to what caused it.
Rogers stated that the building was used on a daily basis by youths from various communities such as Victory valley, Blueberry Hill, Silver City and Wismar Housing Scheme to do their school work and assignments. The building was also used to train youths to box.

“It’s a real great loss because there are the youths interested in boxing who now have no building and no gears. All my gears destroy, waxing gloves, boxing equipment; even the treadmill machine that was donated was destroyed. Then you have the computer lab with about eight computers in there; that was also destroyed,” he added.

Rogers is also asking persons who are willing to give donations of any form to help in the rebuilding of the centre, to contact him on 5926957937 or 592629404.

Chairman of Victory Valley’s Community Development Council, Anthony Roberts, said about $10M have been lost due to the fire and is asking persons with information pertaining to what could have cause the fire to come forward.

“Anybody with information, we are asking them to come and tell us what is going on. We will give them some kind of reward and their information will be confidential,” he stated.
“This is not a one-man thing or a two-man thing, this is a whole community suffering,” Roberts added.