A look at Crest High School's new auditorium
Crest High School celebrated the completion of a dream Thursday night.
A grand opening for the school’s new auditorium was held last week with a crowd of elected officials, school leaders, students and alumni in attendance.
It's the second such celebration this year. A month ago, Burns High held a similar ceremony in its new auditorium.
“This is a great day for Cleveland County Schools and Crest High School and the Crest community,” said Cleveland County Board of Education Chair Robert Queen. “Today our dream of an auditorium has finally become a reality.”
Speaker of the House Tim Moore, Senator Ted Alexander, Kelly Hastings and other elected officials spoke at the event.
A balloon arch with Crest Charger colors decorated the front of the lobby, and the Crest JROTC performed the presentation of colors.
Skip Allen, pastor of Hope Community Church, gave an opening prayer and spoke to the gathering about his memories in the little theater when the football team had a defining meeting following a losing season when he was a Crest High student.
“It was a defining moment,” Allen said. “The coaches were saying we can either give up on this season or turn this season around. We decided as a team to turn that season around.”
He said he thought about all the impact the auditorium would have on the lives of students.
“I thought about all the future opportunities in this place. Defining moments, life changing moments, speeches, graduations, maybe some teams having some come to Jesus moments in there,” he said.
Queen spoke about the history of the auditoriums, which have been planned for, dreamed of and worked on for many years. He said the Crest and Burns auditoriums were made possible through grant funds for needs-based capital projects.
The school system went through two grant processes and ended up being approved for $28.5 million with a 5% match by Cleveland County Schools.
“It took a lot of things to line up just right for this to happen,” Queen said. “This grand opening marks a long journey on the shoulders of many people. This is a proud day for everyone involved.”
Moore said the additions at Burns and Crest have been long overdue.
“But it's here now. Hats off to local leadership for really a job well done,” he said.
Alexander spoke about the satisfaction of seeing projects like these come to completion.
“During this Holy Week, we have a lot of blessings to be thankful for,” Alexander said. “This has been a dream for many of you for many years.”
Following a ribbon cutting, guests were invited to walk through the building and take a self-guided tour and hear a student performance on stage.
"As we inaugurate these beautiful, much-needed auditoriums at Burns High and Crest High, it is important to know that these cutting-edge additions are not merely the culmination of bricks and mortar but a testament to our collective vision, perseverance and commitment to the cultivation of excellence," said Queen. "I believe these spaces will inspire creativity, foster community and will provide our students with a state-of-the-art venue for showcasing their brilliance and talents for generations to come."
The auditoriums will seat approximately 1,000 people.
Approximately $14.25 million for each facility came directly from the North Carolina Lottery Funds, with local funds providing a 5% match totaling approximately $15 million each.
This article originally appeared on The Shelby Star: Crest celebrates new auditorium
