Boost for the Beck Center

Today Mayor FitzGerald announced $100,000 in support of the Beck Center. Not only is the Beck an esteemed cultural arts institution, it's been estimated that $10 million dollars is added to the local economy from the Beck Center’s activities every year.

Approximately $55,000 of the assistance will come from the city's share of federal stimulus funds for energy efficiency. This commitment will enable much needed facility upgrades and reduce operating costs. The investment will have multi-year benefit to the non-profit’s operations. Another $45,000 will come from loans that the Mayor and City Council plan to renegotiate with the Beck.

On March 31st, the Beck Center for the Arts announced that they needed of $150,000 to continue operations. Response from Lakewood (and the nation!) has been huge, raising more than $50,000 in less than a week. In addition to donations, registrations for classes and ticket sales have gone up as well. Their Board plans to raise a ton of money to get the Beck's financial footing stronger for long term stability. (So don't stop giving, going to classes and seeing shows!)

In the mean time, local organizations are stepping up to help too. For example, the Designer Consignor is giving 50 percent of its proceeds to the center during April. Also, the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce will promote a Businesses Back the Beck Day on Wednesday, April 22.