Prairie Winds Clubhouse takes on new name
new name - Sparta House is the new adopted by the members of what used to be the Prairie Winds Clubhouse. The name and the new sign, were unveiled on Thursday, Nov. 23. Here from left are Tom Kochanski and Carrie Ann Dahl putting up the new sign. Photo by Rob Vogt
By Rob Vogt, Local Press Writer
Spartans were some of the toughest warriors in ancient Greece.
When the members of the Prairie Winds Clubhouse decided they wanted a name changed, they ultimately chose a name that symbolized the strength and determination it takes to live with mental illness.
So at an open house on Thursday, Nov. 23, the new name for the clubhouse was unveiled: Sparta House.
Carrie Ann Dahl, executive director at the clubhouse, described the process in re-naming the clubhouse.
“The members decided they wanted a name change,” she said.
The facility had been called the Prairie Winds Clubhouse since 1998, but since then the composition of the membership has changed.
They wanted a name that suited the current members.
“They could name the clubhouse to recognize what it has become for them,” Dahl said.
Moreover, they wanted a name with a specific meaning.
“We wanted a name that represented strength,” Dahl said.
It would be a name that signified how strong someone has to be to live with mental illness. It symbolizes strength and someone to look up to, not someone to look down and pity.
A total of 16 names were suggested by members and the community, in person and on social media.
“The one with the most votes won,” Dahl said.