Por Jessica Hudgins
Asistente de Publicaciones SDUN
When Mendoza became Starlight’s artistic director last year, he knew the old venue needed a lot of help. So when the Rock Church approached him with an idea about a volunteer renovation, Mendoza was thrilled.
“The Rock gave us a tremendous amount of help, and we really needed it a lot,” he says.
Since April 10, more than a thousand volunteers from the Point Loma megachurch have helped restore and beautify the historic theatre in Balboa Park. They took out nearly 4,000 chairs, painted them and reinstalled them; painted all the walls; cleaned out over 45,000 pounds of debris; rearranged the wardrobe room and spruced up the concessions kitchen.
“They just want to make the world a better place,” Mendoza said. “It’s really just a message of love.”
That message got legs during the church’s Do Something World Clean-Up Day. In addition to the Starlight Bowl, volunteers also spruced up the Jackie Robinson YMCA in Chollas Creek and revamped the Euclid Avenue Trolley Station in Encanto. In Balboa Park, volunteers planted, weeded and spread mulch near the Japanese Friendship Garden; planted trees at Morley Field; and picked up trash and planted ground cover at Inspiration Point near the Naval hospital.
The Rock Church’s pastor, Miles McPherson, said he founded the Do Something campaign as a way to encourage everyone – not just church members – to give back to the community.
“We want to mobilize our people to serve the community in any way they can,” McPherson said. “Everything we’re doing is all underneath the umbrella of beautifying and improving the quality of life in the city. It’s all in the spirit of helping San Diego.”
Last year, Rock Church members donated 615,956 hours of community service that would have cost the city $9.6 million dollars if it had hired paid workers to do the various projects. This year, their goal is 200,000 hours.
“We’re challenging everyone to do something,” McPherson said. “The more hours we fulfill, the more people we help.”
McPherson was at the Starlight Bowl for its renovation, and he said seeing the community come together to help each other is very satisfying.
“It is the best feeling,” he said. “It’s one thing to have people to come to church and listen to you talk. But to see people take the message seriously and be out there helping others brings me great joy.”
The relationship between the Rock Church and the Starlight Bowl didn’t end on April 10. The more work the volunteers did, the more work they found that needed to be done, and the more they wanted to help.
“They don’t want to leave us. They want to make sure we survive,” Mendoza said.
Volunteers returned to the Starlight every night from May 3 through May 7 to make sure the theatre had on her best dress for opening day, June 17.
The Starlight’s new look couldn’t come at a better time, Mendoza said.
“To see the outpouring of support from the community has been tremendous because Starlight needs help. If the community doesn’t reach out we won’t stay afloat,” Mendoza said.
A city-owned theater, the Starlight has been hit hard by the struggling economy and recent budget cuts, he explained.
“Twenty-five percent (of cash flow) that goes into the theatre comes from grants and sponsorships. Every theatre is struggling with that,” Mendoza said. “Last year we just had to get through it. This year is the season of hope to keep the theatre alive so we can make it to our 65th year.”
So what does the Rock Church get for putting in 6,399 community service hours toward the Starlight’s makeover?
“We’re not asking for anything in return,” McPherson said. “We didn’t ask the Starlight for anything, and we won’t.”
However, Starlight staffers were so grateful for the help that they couldn’t let the volunteers’ good deeds go unrewarded. Everyone who helped beautify the Starlight received two tickets to any of the three plays this summer.
The Starlight’s summer lineup includes “Suds: The Rocking 60’s Musical” (June 17-July 4), “The Pajama Game” (July 15-August 1), and “Hello, Dolly!” (August 19- September 5). Ticket prices range from $10-$75. The family-friendly shows are even more accessible with the Starlight’s Kids Free Program, which allows children 12 years old and younger free admission on Thursdays and Sundays with a full paid adult. For more information, go to starlighttheatre.org.
