Lorraine Dixon wants to help bring some more fun to DeKalb with her plans to open a new indoor skating rink in town.

The DeKalb resident, who is a mother of 11 children, said it’s clear that there is a need in the community for what she is proposing.

“We just really need something to do,” she said.

Dixon approached the City Council this week to make a pitch, asking for its support and approval. She’s also launched a GoFundMe campaign, hoping to raise money to help make the idea a reality.

In response, Mayor Cohen Barnes directed Dixon to the DeKalb Park District for the next steps.

Such proposals are nothing new to officials in the DeKalb city government.

“This is a topic that comes up quite often,” Barnes said.

DeKalb used to have an indoor skating rink.

The mayor said he’d love to see a skating rink in town.

As a DeKalb resident for the past 8 years, Dixon said she sees a lot of value in what a skating rink would mean to the city.

“DeKalb is a beautiful, growing community,” Dixon said. “However, one gap I have observed is the limited ... [availability of] recreational spaces for our youth and families, especially in the evenings and on the weekends. When those options are limited, families are left searching for positive alternatives.”

This is where the idea of “Sunshine on Wheels,” a new indoor skating rink, moves into the frame. But there’s more to the concept. Dixon also wants the venue to feature space for an arcade, laser tag, a mini bar and other entertainment amenities.

Dixon is proposing a way to establish such a concept in town by 2027.

Dixon said she’s already identified two vacant spots along Sycamore Road that she’d like to consider setting up shop.

No lease agreement has been secured.

To date, a GoFundMe campaign set up to raise funds for the proposed new skating rink in DeKalb has amassed $120.

Dixon is still early on in raising the money to help make it happen.

“I’ve been dreaming about it,” Dixon said. “My dreams are really vivid. Sunshine on Wheels, it’s a dream.”