Company donates day to give school makeover
Improvements to Our Lady of Lourdes seen as 'priceless'
BY MARY ANNE ROSS Correspondent

PHOTOS BY ANDREW MILLER staff Clockwise from top: Brian Schmidt, of Philadelphia, paints lines for a four-square ball game on the blacktop outside Our Lady of Lourdes School in Milltown Aug. 23. He and more than 100 other employees of Music Choice spent the day giving the school building a makeover and improving its amenities. Brian Fernandez, of New York City, paints one of the classrooms. Abhay Taiwade, of Somerset, paints a boys' bathroom at the school. The Music Choice employees gave the entire building a fresh coat of paint. Erica Librach, of Allentown, Pa., paints squares on the playground blacktop.

MILLTOWN - All those returning to Our Lady of Lourdes School this fall are in for a big surprise when they arrive.

The school last week received an "extreme makeover," courtesy of Music Choice, which supplies music programming for cable television. The Horsham, Pa.-based company enlisted its entire staff to give the Catholic school a whole new look on Aug. 23.

Some 120 employees descended upon the school and spent the day painting, drawing, digging and planting. Hallways, classrooms, bathrooms, gardens - even the convent and parking lot - were all redone.

"The change is just amazing," said Jim Lukach of the School Advisory Council.

Music Choice President Dave Del Beccaro said his employees are required to participate in such community service projects twice a year, but they are happy to do so.

"When we were first getting started, we didn't make enough money to donate to community organizations, but we could give our time and talents, and that's what we did. Even though we are doing well as a company, we still do this twice a year," Del Beccaro said.

"It's really about values. As an organization we have certain values, and only people who share those values stay with us," he added.

The official name for the company's "in kind" grant program is M.C. Cares. Our Lady of Lourdes is one of many schools and social service organizations that have benefited from the work.

A Music Choice employee who is the sonin law of a parishioner in Milltown brought the school's needs to the attention of the company, resulting in the makeover.

"We really enjoy doing this," said Alain Alfaro, who works for Music Choice and was busy planting a new garden in front of the school. "We get a lot of satisfaction out it."

Richard Glasford, who works in programming, agreed.

"It's really wonderful to go into these schools and make these changes," said Glasford, who was donating his services in the school gym. "I've been painting murals all day. Our graphic designers drew them and I've been filling them in."

Other staffers were busy painting the walls and radiators. A blue falcon, the school mascot, was painted on a center wall in the gym.

The parking lot, which serves as a playground for the students, was also transformed. A bright green baseball diamond complete with white squares for bases has been set up in one corner. A basketball court was laid out in school colors in another area. And students will be able to play checkers on a chessboard painted on the parking lot, and jump around the brightly colored hopscotch board and other pavement games that have been designed.

"They turned that eyesore into a work of art," said Tom Olson, president of the School Advisory Council, referring to a large orange storage unit that had been painted with the school colors and decorated with a blue falcon.

"Our preschool kids grow butterfly larvae as a class project, so this butterfly garden right outside their classroom is perfect," Lukach said of the newly installed plantings.

The bland cinderblock walls of the afterschool program and computer rooms are now decorated with colorful childhood images.

"I came to help, but they are really doing everything," said Andy Campbell, whose son, Brian, will start kindergarten in September. "They have it all set. I'm just carrying things and following them around."

"We couldn't put a price tag on all the work they did," said Lukach.

"We wish we could see the expression on the kids' faces when they see their new school," said Del Beccaro, who was working as hard as employees on the makeover. "But it's enough to know we have done it."

Lukach may not be able to tell him about the response of students yet, but he can tell him about the response of faculty and parents who have seen the changes. "Everyone just says, 'Wow!' "

The Rev. Ed Czarcinski, pastor at the church, summed up the feelings of the entire school community: "We are incredibly grateful."