Raise the Roof: CWCM seeks aid for costly renovations
By Taylor J. Hale
Staff Writer
STEVENS POINT – The Central Wisconsin Children’s Museum (CWCM) has launched new fundraising efforts in pursuit of financial support for needed building repairs at their downtown Stevens Point location.
“The tuckpointing on our east-facing wall has been done, and a temporary patch has been made to the roof to stop the water [from] falling down the front windows,” said CWCM Executive Director Sandy Williams. “However, the roof is in very bad shape and needs to be replaced.”
Some of the damage from roof conditions. Taylor Hale photo.
The original roof is estimated to be 30 years old, with several layers of deteriorated material that needs to be removed, due to city building codes. The projected cost for the required restorations is set at roughly $75,000, including insulation and decking repairs.
To aid in raising proceeds, the group has kicked off their annual “Be A Bud” fundraiser, but with a twist.
“This year we are dedicating all monies generated from this campaign to the roof replacement and have nicknamed it ‘Raise the Roof,’” Williams said.
The Raise the Roof program will run until Dec. 31. The campaign works with a different local restaurant each month, proceeds from food sales at each establishment go towards the CWCM renovations. Participating restaurants, include: Sept. 8 – Qdoba, Oct. 13 – Panera Bread, and Dec. 8 – Panda Express.
Raise the Roof has already netted $2,215 in just one week.
Williams sees the museum as an essential fixture in the downtown landscape.
“With over 23,000 visits each year, our families can plan an entire day in downtown Stevens Point to include museum exploration, shopping at many unique stores and eating at a wide variety of locally-owned restaurants,” she said. “Donations to Raise the Roof will ensure we can continue to engage children and families by providing a safe place where learning and play come together.”
To donate directly to the CWCM, visit https://paypal.me/cwcm?locale.x=en_US, mail a check to CWCM, 1100 Main St., Stevens Point, WI, 54481, or in person.
