National Pawn Donates Much Needed Band Instruments to the Wake County Public School System

Online, September 10, 2012 (Newswire.com) - National Pawn owner Bob Moulton donated more than 100 instruments to the Wake County Public School System's middle-school band programs to help budding musicians. In addition, National Pawn presented a check for $2,000 to the school district to off-set future repair and maintenance costs for their instruments. In 2011 National Pawn began the tradition to gather new and (gently) used instruments and donate them to middle-school band programs. A ceremony was held during a district-wide meeting of arts educators at W.G. Enloe High School, 128 Clarendon Crescent in Raleigh, at 10:00 am, Thursday, August 23. Band directors and school officials were on hand to accept the gift.

"I am a proud former 'Band Geek' who knows first-hand what it is like to want to learn how to play, but not have an instrument," said Moulton. "My parents could not afford to buy or rent me a new instrument so my first instrument was a beat up cornet purchased at a yard sale for $15. It was barely adequate to say the least. A year later I was able to purchase a better one at a pawn store in Durham. I want to help as many students as I can to realize their dreams of becoming musicians."

Cuts in education budgets continue to shrink the arts programs especially hard for the past several years.

Liz Grimes Droessler, Senior Administrator for Arts Education said: "In a growing school system with limited resources, the arts program relies on support from our community partners. This donation helps to ensure that students who might not be able to provide their own instrument will still have access to music class. Participation in the arts develops the 21st century skills of communication, creativity, and collaboration. Mr. Moulton's generosity is an investment in our future."

This is the second annual donation of instruments to all three Triangle school districts from Bob Moulton and National Pawn. Last year he donated a total of over 400 instruments and $6,000 to the districts. The donation ceremony for the Orange County Public Schools was held at C.W. Stanford Middle School, 308 Orange High Rd in Hillsborough, at 1:30 pm, Friday, August 24. A ceremony for the Durham Public school was held on September 7 at Lowe's Grove Middle School in Durham. In addition to the Triangle, this year the program was expanded to include the New Hanover County Schools with a ceremony held in Wilmington on August 29. This will put this year's donation to over 500 instruments and $8,000 cash.