Glenn Doughty was known as a Baltimore Colt and then as the man who gave many young people a place to call home with Shake and Bake.
The facility has been a beacon of light in west Baltimore for decades. Friday, as it prepared to close for renovations, it paid tribute to those who've helped it thrive and the kids who keep that light shining bright.
The original center had 40 bowling lanes plus a skating rink. Two faces of Shake and Bake, Anthony Williams and Wes Moore brought attention to the facility's contributions and those who've made it what it is today.
"It means a lot because I used to come here when it first opened," said resident Sharon Winters.
You'll hear that from many people in and out of west Baltimore, Shake and Bake known as a place you can drop your child off without a second thought.
"Because of the area in which its located, there's a lot of crime, drugs and dereliction and what we offer is the safe haven," said Anthony Williams, a long time veteran of Shake and Bake management and also a child who benefited.
Men like Williams dedicated much of his life to give back to children.
"It saved my life by way of taking me from the streets and a life of drug addiction and 29 years later I'm still delivered."
He was honored Friday by various state and city leaders and his community. For Williams, working there and making a difference came naturally.
"This is the foundation of what I do and what we've been doing for the past 30 years and I feel like if I do something to give back to the young people that was offered to me then why not?"
Friday's back to school night drew lines around the block; it's just one of the safe events for youth the facility was built on.
Wes Moore helmed the effort; a labor of love complete with school supplies, back backs, health information, free haircuts and other resources for the community he loves.
"Shake and Bake has been about safety and education and security and our future and so when we were saying that this is the time of work that we wanted to do, we wanted to a, celebrate Anthony and we want to put kids on the right path," Moore, the CEO of The Robin Hood Foundation, told ABC2 News.
City leaders and activists say they want to see the facility back open and running as soon as possible.
