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WHACC 9-U Youth Winter League Champions
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WHACC Events

Check out the calendar below for events hosted by and at the William "Hicks" Anderson Community Center.

Register for Events

The Department of Parks and Recreation has made it easier for you to register online securely and conveniently for events and activities taking place at the William "Hicks" Anderson Community Center, thanks to CommunityPass! Visit this link to create an account.

Spelling Bee Competition

City of Wilmington, Mayor Mike Purzycki
Department of Parks and Recreation, Director Ian R. Smith

SPELLING BEE COMPETITION 

Thursday, February 22, 2024 | 6:00 to 7:30 PM 
Registration/Check-In Starts at 5:00 PM
Black History Month Event
Theme: Professional Sports 

Participating Grades: 3rd, 4th, and 5th

Prize Winners:
1st Place $500
2nd Place $250

Spelling bees help to promote literacy by providing children with a positive goal to work toward and giving them a forum to display the fruits of their hard work. But they also do much more: In addition to improving spelling, the bees also aid children in learning, improving comprehension, and developing study skills. The benefits of spelling bees extend beyond language. Since children are required to spell words while on stage, kids also develop self-confidence, communication and public speaking skills, and the ability to thrive under pressure. The lessons learned by participating in a spelling bee can therefore last a lifetime and can benefit even those who don’t outlast all competitors.

Agenda:February 22, 2024 Spelling Bee Competition Registration
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About the Center

The William “Hicks” Anderson Community Center (WHACC), located on the corner of 5th and Madison Streets in Wilmington, opened its doors in 1972. Formerly known as the West Center City Community Center, the Center was renamed in honor of Wilmington youth and community advocate William “Hicks” Anderson. The Center has served as a hub of positive community activity in the West Center City neighborhood, and is focused on community strengthening and family-focused programming.

At the time of his passing in 1990, “Hicks” Anderson was a name well-known in the Wilmington community for his tireless efforts to help those in the city’s underrepresented communities and his work with Wilmington’s young, poor, uneducated and disenfranchised. Anderson dedicated his life to forwarding causes central to the quality of life possible for Wilmingtonians such as poverty, hunger, fair housing and especially, education.

Today, WHACC continues in the tradition of providing individual and family services to Wilmington’s families and youth. The Center is a bustling hub of activities for neighborhood children, including after-school academic enrichment and recreational programs. Additionally, the Center provides services for the elderly through its Adult Center, along with food and nutrition assistance, a clothes closet, crisis services and health programming through the Center’s workout room and swimming pool available to the general public. Organized sporting leagues and events, including basketball, boxing, aquatics programming, martial arts, as well as youth camps, field trips, and tutoring, are all core parts of the mission of the “Hicks” Anderson Center.