The Roberts Creek Elementary Parents Advisory Committee (PAC) has launched a new project to raise money to build a performance stage at the elementary school. The PAC hopes to have it ready for use by students and community members by next fall.
"This is something that has been on the mind of staff at the school for many, many years but now we are coming forward with a plan to make it happen. My daughter is in Grade 4 now so time is of the essence in my mind," said Danise Lofstrom, a former PAC president and chair of the newly formed stage committee for Roberts Creek Elementary.
Lofstrom notes a performance-style stage would be beneficial to students who currently perform on a makeshift stage in the gymnasium that must be taken down after each rehearsal as the community uses the gym after school hours.
"Right now they assemble risers and my daughter was up there doing a performance and she had to jump over the cracks. I felt like she could fall at any minute and like it wasn't safe for her to be up there," Lofstrom said.
She said that if a permanent stage was built in the gymnasium students could assemble sets, rehearse on the stage and leave things set up for the next rehearsal.
"We could keep the gym as community use but block off the stage," Lofstrom said.
But Lofstrom notes the stage would also be open to the community to use after school hours as long as the students had "first dibs on it."
The school district supports the concept of building a stage at the school but notes there is no money in the budget to make it happen, and that the Ministry of Education does not consider a stage "necessary for the curriculum."
"A stage is great. It would be a benefit, but it's just not something that we can fund. We support them completely in fundraising for it though," superintendent of schools Stewart Hercus said.
The committee officially launched their fund- raising campaign titled Set the Stage with a dance at the school Oct. 14, which Lofstrom noted was very well attended.
It featured many well-known Coast musicians including former Canadian Idol contestant Sarah Loverock who was once a student at the school.
When she heard about the project she was excited saying, "it would have been great to have had a stage in my day."
The event brought in about $2,100, and added to previous fundraisers, such as the family barbecue and some garage sales, brought the fundraising total to about $4,000. But that is a far cry from the nearly $300,000 it will cost to build the stage.
"The money raised so far will really go to more detailed designs and advertisements, but we do have a strategy to pay for the stage," she said. "People can donate stocks and shares to us because we are a non-profit group and they don't have to pay any capital gains tax. It's almost like a tax shelter and can be used as a tax write off. I am going to go to mortgage brokers to suggest it as an investment for their wealthy clientele on the Coast. They can be part of a lasting legacy because the school is going to be around for many more years and the stage will be too."
She also hopes the general public will get behind the project with donations of time and money.
"We need donations of time and labour services. People involved in construction or people who may have some materials can contact me. Even if they only have wood to donate, every donation will help reduce the overall cost," Lofstrom said.
She notes there will be tax receipts issued for any donation of $100 or more and invites anyone interested in helping with Set the Stage to contact her at 604-886-1371.
Long time Roberts Creek teacher Barry Krangle, is 100 per cent behind the initiative noting the school used to host theatre productions.
"We would love to reinitiate student theater. In fact we would love to host theatrical and performing arts events of all kinds. Imagine having a space to rehearse on set. Let's build a great stage for our students and our community," he said.
