Hampton Pledges $75,000 to Expand Rural Arts Access in Morton, WA

July 11, 2024

Hampton Lumber has announced a donation of $75,000 to the Fire Mountain Arts Council (FMAC) in Morton, Washington to support their ongoing theater programs and expand opportunities for arts access in rural areas.

The donation, provided in $25,000 annual increments over three years, will support the hiring of a part-time production coordinator, ensuring the smooth execution of performances and events. In addition, a portion of the donation will be dedicated to scholarships for local students interested in participating in FMAC’s OnStage theater programs.

“As a small nonprofit, the Fire Mountain Arts Council gets most everything done by volunteers,” said Fred Schwindt with the Fire Mountain Arts Council.  “Overtime, a number of our volunteers have had to retire due to life circumstances and new volunteers are faced with the daunting task of creating productions and running an ever more complex organization.”  

In addition to live theater, FMAC shows first run movies every weekend and operates an art gallery for local artists to show and sell their work. “Imagine our delight when Hampton Lumber reached out to talk about ways they could help us,” said Schwindt. “We are immensely grateful for their generous support.”

“We believe in the power of the arts to inspire and transform communities,” said Kristin Rasmussen at Hampton Lumber. “We appreciate the valuable opportunities the Fire Mountain Arts Council provides in the community and are pleased to be able to enhance our support for their programs.”

Hampton’s $75,000 contribution complements ongoing support from Hampton’s Cowlitz mills, which have contributed to the Fire Mountain Arts Council for many years, including through lumber donations for the theater’s recent expansion project.

For more information about the FMAC and its programs, please visit www.firemac.org/.

About Hampton Lumber 

Hampton Lumber is a fourth-generation, family-owned company headquartered in Portland, Oregon. With over 80 years in the sawmill business, Hampton operates sawmills in Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia and markets wood products all over the world. Hampton also manages a wholesale and lumber export division and numerous reload and remanufacturing facilities throughout the U.S. All of Hampton’s forestlands are certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), an independent, non-profit organization that promotes sustainable forest management. SFI certified forests play an important role in water conservation, wildlife habitat, and climate solutions. 

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