A community center in Picayune got a step closer to being built due to a fundraiser held on Saturday.

The fundraiser was held at the JP Johnson Park in the city as a way to collect donations that will be used to construct a new community center.

According to previous coverage, the plan is to create a 4,000 square foot building, estimated to cost about $150,000 to $200,000, that will provide a number of services to the community.

Pearl River County District I Supervisor Donald Hart along with Pathways, the seven-member board appointed to oversee activities at the community center, organized the fundraiser.

Hart said it was their first public fundraiser and the effort resulted in the collection of $1,500 in donations.

Several civic organizations including All Occasion Truck Club, Square Deal Lodge HOJ, Women of Vision and Eastern Stars MLK Committee, participated in the event.

“I feel like it was a great success, everybody enjoyed it and it did what it was supposed to, that is raise awareness and funds,” Hart said.

Prior to the event, a District-wide cleanup was also organized by the Square Deal Lodge for District 1 to remove trash from the community, Hart said.

He said the Board is continuing to make the vision of a new community center a reality by seeking donations from local industries, banks, businesses and those from private donors as well.

Currently, the effort to raise funds for the project has collected $8,000 through individual donors.

Additionally, a GoFundMe page for the project has received about $700 in donations. The goal is to raise $155,000, Hart said.

Hart said more fundraisers will be organized in the future.