The MAAC Foundation will build a new headquarters and expand its training campus in Valparaiso.
The nonprofit, which trains first responders, firefighters, police officers and K9 officers from across Northwest Indiana, raised $9 million for an expansion it calls "a major milestone in expanding first responder training opportunities and organizational growth." It plans to break ground at 2 p.m. Thursday on its new two-story headquarters building and Kathyn Hall next door.
The Merrillville-based Dean and Barbara White Family Foundation, carrying on the legacy of the late billionaire and philanthropist, helped fund the expansion project, which will result in more classrooms and training facilities for EMS professionals, firefighters and police officers.
“This expansion represents an exciting next chapter for the MAAC Foundation,” said Nicole Gladstone, president and CEO of the MAAC Foundation. “This new construction will not only strengthen our internal operations but also create new opportunities for training, innovation, and collaboration among the first responder community we proudly serve.”
The expansion will allow the MAAC foundation to offer more classes, workshops and real-world simulations. Gladstone said the additional training will help make first responders more ready.
