National Pawn gives the gift of music to Hoggard High School
WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - Hoggard High School recently received a donation from National Pawn that will help improve students’ learning experiences.
National Pawn presented the school with over 100 instruments and a check for $2,000.
Bob Moulton, the president of National Pawn, says he understands how costly new instruments can be. That’s why he has spent the last 12 years donating thousands of instruments and tens of thousands of dollars to music programs for students who live in the communities where his company’s stores are located.
Before the COVID pandemic, National Pawn was donating to different high schools eight to ten times a year. They’re slowly trying to get back on track to that number.
There are 23 locations across the state, and three in Wilmington alone.
Moulton says those 100 instruments have a $15,000 value, but you can’t put a price on the excitement a kid has when they’re handed a new instrument.
“When I was in the seventh grade, my parents could not afford to buy me a new instrument. So, my mother bought a used instrument for me at the yard sale. So, that’s actually how I got the idea. There’s a lot of kids that are in a whole lot worse shape than I was back then. And so, if we can make their dream of playing in the band, I mean, I love that,” said Moulton.
The large donation was “music to the ears” for Hoggard High School’s band teacher, Rod Reed.
Along with the new instruments, Reed is excited to provide the students with more sheet music and repairs to older instruments.
He wasn’t expecting the large donation and was shocked when he received an email several months ago saying that his band program was selected to receive the gift.
Reed says kids often show up without an instrument to play and this donation will help solve that problem moving forward.
“It really helps me look to a child and say ‘I do have an instrument for you.’ And in this situation, we are getting enough instruments that we can look to a student say ‘yeah, we have one that you can use from us that will help supply for you during your time here at Hoggard High School’,” said Reed.
National Pawn is asking for anyone who has an instrument that goes unused and is collecting dust, to sell it to the pawn shop so they can donate it to students who so desperately need one of their own.
You can find their locations on the National Pawn website.
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