JE Dunn Builds It Forward at Starlight
Most people know Starlight for its exterior spaces – the outdoor dining, seating, and the iconic towers of the stage house. But a theatre can’t function without all the back-of-house spots such as rehearsal spaces and dressing rooms. Over time, these spaces can become worn down.
Recently, a crew of construction professionals from JE Dunn spent some time helping to spruce up a few backstage spaces at Starlight.
“Through strategic coordination with Kali McGee, JE Dunn’s Community Impact Specialist, and our Operations & Facilities and Philanthropy teams, we identified some areas they could assist and save us money, too,” Phil Butler, Facilities Manager for Starlight, said.
The project was part of JE Dunn’s new volunteer initiative called Build It Forward. A committee chooses one nonprofit partner per month to provide up to four hours of light construction support such as painting, building furniture, installing outdoor benches, and more. JE Dunn donates up to $1,000 to cover supplies.
“This funding opportunity was unique and meaningful in that it combined a charitable gift and skilled professionals to volunteer their time to implement a project,” Slavin said.
On the afternoon of January 18, 2024, at no cost to Starlight, a team of approximately 18 JE Dunn personnel volunteered their time to paint the walls in all dressing rooms and connecting hallways, supplying the labor and materials for the project.
Anyone who works in a nonprofit knows that there is often a laundry list of ‘fix-it’ projects, and Starlight was grateful to be chosen by JE Dunn to update some of our backstage spaces!”
Sydney Slavin Grants and Donor Communications Manager at Starlight