McCarthy Building Cos. & Community Partners Give Bella Vista High School Performing Arts Department a New Act

Under its signature “Heart Hats” community involvement program, McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. (“McCarthy”) held a volunteer day on Sept. 27 at San Juan Unified School District’s Bella Vista High School.

The day of service was dedicated to providing better organization and extra storage for the school’s Performing Arts Department. Volunteers from McCarthy, community partners, students and faculty worked together to revitalize the backstage area of costume and prop storage – an area known as the “Pit.”

The work, completed just in time for the school’s Fall Show, included:

· A much-needed expansion of costume storage space.

· Re-organization and renovation of storage space for stage props and theater equipment.

· Donation of a 40-foot sea container that will bring storage of bulky stage equipment closer to the theater. This equipment was previously stored in a room far away from the theater, and the new storage will save students and staff valuable time and many cross-campus trips.

Approximately 25 volunteers from McCarthy contributed to the improvement efforts as part of the “Heart Hats” program. “Heart Hats” is dedicated to encouraging, supporting and recognizing the volunteer efforts of McCarthy employees in their local communities. HGA Architects and Engineers, the firm that designed the storage areas, also contributed. All materials and labor were donated by McCarthy and its community partners.

“At McCarthy, we are committed to building positive change in the communities in which our employee-owners work and live,” said Ryan Heeter, senior vice president of operations at McCarthy’s Sacramento region office in Roseville. “It was immensely rewarding to join together with Bella Vista High School and our community partners to provide the students here with a performing arts space of which they can be proud.”

“What an amazing gift to our students. The revitalized backstage and storage area solves a number of issues and will immediately improve the experience of our performing arts students,” said Maureen Harris, San Juan Unified School District employee and parent of a Bella Vista high school drama student. “We are very appreciative of the work of McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. and their community partners.”

Photos and information courtesy of McCarthy Building Companies. Photos: McCarthy and community partner volunteers at this year’s volunteer day for the Bella Vista High School Performing Arts Department.