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  • Lowe’s Operations Manager Josh Finley and employees John Casey and Joe Eckelberry pose in front of the Granada Center for the Performing Arts Wednesday morning after dropping off donated equipment for the renovation of the historical theater. The donations are part of the Lowe’s Heroes Program, which encourages employees to adopt a project with a local non-profit organization or public school to make a difference. KANDACE MCCOY/REGISTER-NEWS

    Lowe's Heroes
August 26, 2010

Volunteer program upgrading Granada

By KANDACE MCCOY kandace.mccoy@register-news.com

MT. VERNON — Renovation and reconstruction projects take more than planning — they take dedication, donations and hard work.

Those involved with the Granada Center for the Performing Arts have experienced firsthand the challenges, which are a little easier thanks to the help of a national volunteer program from Lowe’s.

Volunteer employees from the local home improvement store recently began work on the historical movie theater, with the store donating four floor fans for the auditorium, two water heaters for the men’s and women’s restrooms and a vanity cabinet for a restroom. In addition to the approximate $2,500 worth of equipment, the company will be donating 100 hours of labor from 25 employees, according to Josh Finley, Mt. Vernon Lowe’s operations manager.

“We’ll be sound-proofing the walls, doing some re-wiring, plumbing — a whole array of things as part of the Lowe’s Heroes Program,” Finley said.

Lowe’s Heroes began as a volunteer program 10 years ago, according to information from the company, and encourages employees in a city to team together, adopt a project with a local non-profit organization or K-12 public school and “make a difference.” The program is funded through the Lowe’s Foundation, which has committed $1.5 million to Heroes projects.

Granada Board member Greg Lundius said in addition to the wiring and plumbing projects in which Lowe’s is helping, other renovation projects are still being planned.

“We’re going to be recreating the ticket booth which was in front of the Granada under the marquee on the sidewalk with the help of YouthBuild, Lowe’s and some other agencies,” he explained. “We’re also looking at a sound system for the theater, stage lighting and additional curtains for live performances.”

But perhaps the two biggest projects the board is hoping to begin in the future is the installation of air conditioning in the theater — which would cost approximately $40,000 — and the tiering of the auditorium floor, about a $90,000 project.

“The ultimate plan is to tier the floor so we can have dinner theater-style seating with tables and chairs, and we would leave a certain amount of theater seating in the center,” he said. “That would allow us to utilize (the Granada) better for conventions, meetings, weddings and receptions where it could be used for hundreds and hundreds of people.”

Despite the numerous projects needed in restoring the Granada, Lundius said donations and volunteers have picked up.

“So far it has been private donations and Downtown Development companies’ donations that has allowed (restoration) to proceed to the part it is,” he said. “But each time we get someone new, like Lowe’s has stepped up and really helped, and a year ago we had a bank give us $5,000.”

Finley said he anticipates the volunteer work to continue for the next two months.

“It’s an ongoing project,” he said.

For more information, to volunteer or to donate to the Granada Center for the Performing Arts, you may visit www.granada.mvn.net or call the U.S. Sonet Granada Hotline at 740-0707.

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