North Carolina-based National Pawn has just announced plans to donate over 100 musical instruments to Charlotte-based nonprofit Arts+.
Celebrating its 10th annual donation to support students through music education across the state, National Pawn will present the instrument donation, including trumpets, saxophones, clarinets, flutes, trombones, drums, recorders and more, to Arts+’s Spirit Square location in Uptown Charlotte on Thursday, Dec. 17 at noon. The donation will be distributed from the Spirit Square location to Arts+ other 20 chapters across the city.
National Pawn has a longstanding tradition of supporting youth music programs in North Carolina, and this is National Pawn’s first year partnering with Arts+, a program that commits to make arts education available to students of all ages, skill levels and socioeconomic backgrounds through private lessons, camps and community outreach programs. Arts+ offers classes at a variety of locations across the Charlotte community.
“Arts+ has been dedicated to providing accessible music education to those who otherwise may not have the opportunity. It was the founding mission and remains the mission over 50 years later,” said Devlin McNeil, President and Executive Director of Arts+. “This generous gift of instruments from National Pawn helps ensure Arts+ can continue to achieve our mission. Accessibility comes in many forms – providing students access to instruments builds confidence and fosters success.”
National Pawn founder, Bob Moulton’s strong passion for giving back is fueled by his own experiences. As a child, Moulton loved music and longed to join the middle school band but was unable due to his family’s financial strains. His mom eventually found and purchased a trumpet at a yard sale, which allowed Moulton to live out his dream. He credits his experiences in the band with helping him develop both a sense of self and sense of collaboration, which he still uses decades later. As a successful business owner, Moulton is committed to giving back to North Carolina communities and specifically supporting music programs to help all children enjoy the gift of music and the valuable life lessons it can teach.
“We know that each donation we make has the power to change lives and we have seen this impact come to fruition so many times over the past decade. Every year, we receive testimonies from the music students themselves about how these instruments have inspired a love of learning and sense of community with fellow musicians,” said Bob Moulton, founder of National Pawn. “We’re really excited to be working with the great people at Arts+ to provide these resources across the state.”