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GRAFTON,Mass. - In 1863, when stove pipe hats were en vogue, and the Grafton Town House was being built, 100 pennies would buy $18 of goods in today’s world.
Apple Tree Arts is beginning a penny campaign as part of their ongoing drive to restore the old Grafton Town House. The point is not to raise large sums of donations, but to get younger members of the community to discover the arts center and what they do.
“This is a community involvement campaign,” said Donna Blanchard, the executive director of Apple Tree Arts. “We want everyone to feel involved."
The penny campaign is to reach out to organizations like the Girl Scouts so they will be involved in a fundraising event and, hopefully, become hooked on the arts.
The original town hall located at One Grafton Common, has, since 2008, raised over $1.6 million towards restoration, half from state organizations. So far, the building has a new roof, a rebuilt granite front with handicap access, and is now planning to restore the rear of the building, add an elevator, and then restore the building’s Great Hall, which many older residents remember as a high school dance hall.
Although the penny campaign will not officially start till Oct. 28, penny donations can be dropped off anytime at the Apple Tree Arts office, located in the former Town House.
Comments (1)
Hopefully, people understand that these pennies go towards important building restoration and not towards Apple Tree Arts' operational budget.
I think the above written letter is more open then it should be. Cheers!