National Pawn Donates Much Needed Band Instruments to Durham Public Schools for Second Year

Sept. 9, 2012 - PRLog -- National Pawn owner Bob Moulton donated more than 100 instruments to the Durham Public Schools middle-school band program to help relieve a shortage that have left dozens of students without instruments.  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.  A ceremony was held at Lowe’s Grove Middle School, 4418 S. Alston Avenue, in Durham, at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, September 7.  Principal Kathy Kirkpatrick, Board Chair Heidi Carter, Area Superintendent Dr. Julie Spencer and Director of Arts Education Mary Casey will be on hand to accept the gifts.  

Moulton is a product of the Durham Public school system. He was a band member while attending Lowe’s Grove Middle School, Neal Middle School, and Southern High School. “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 have hit the arts programs especially hard for the past several years.

This is the second annual donation of instruments to three Triangle school districts from Bob Moulton and National Pawn.  Last year he donated a total of over 400 instruments and $6,000 to Durham Public Schools, Orange County Schools and the Wake County Public School System. This year, instruments were donated to Wake County and Orange County Public Schools during the week of August 20 and to New Hanover County Schools in Wilmington on Wednesday, August 29.  The inclusion of New Hanover County Schools will put this year’s donation to over 500 instruments and $8,000 cash.

“Bob Moulton understands the value of music instruction as part of a well-rounded education,” said Eric J. Becoats, Superintendent of Durham Public Schools. “He is a great community partner who has invested in more than instruments – he has invested in our students.”