Mark the date — Saturday, April 12, 2014 between 4 pm and 10 pm. It’s going to be Youth Club Night at the Berkeley Springs Bowlerama For the Levy, with music and dance. The event is free to anyone under 18. It’s a $2 admission fee for everyone else. People will also speak in favor of the levy.
The event is being organized by Mary Meeks and Michael Moss.
“I’ve been thinking about organizing it for about a year,” Meeks said. “I mentioned it to Michael. And he said — why don’t we make it as part of the campaign for — and a fundraiser for the levy. I thought that was a good idea.”
Meeks is a DJ.
“I’ve been DJing for about 15 years,” Meeks said. “I spin vinyl.”
Black Hat School of Rock will also be playing. Music, dance — and if you want to bowl, you are right there at the Berkeley Springs Bowlerama.
Meeks and Moss have put up a Facebook events page — 24 people have already committed to being there.
“Have you ever seen a live vinyl DJ?” their poster asks. “Do you love music, dancing, and fun times with your friends? Would you like to help raise community awareness of the additional funding that’s required to give you the best education possible, as well as to keep the sports, music, and art programs you love? Here’s your chance to Support The Levy!”
Moss is a 2013 graduate of Berkeley Springs High School.
In an interview at Berkeley Springs State Park, Moss said that he’s concerned that if the levy losses at the polls on May 13, programs that helped him make it through high school will be cut.
Moss says that music programs at the school played a big part in his education.
“If we don’t have the levy, a lot of programs will be cut,” Moss said. “We won’t have the AP (advanced placement) classes for those who want that or need that. Music programs will get cut. Athletics will get cut. If I didn’t have music through the funding of the levy, I probably wouldn’t have made it through school as easily as I did. It helped me every day.”
As for why the levy lost so big last year, Moss said simply — “I don’t think enough people got out to vote.”
“People had the mindset — my vote is not going to make a difference,” Moss said.
Meeks agreed.
“A lot of it was low voter turnout,” she said. “I’m thinking we’re going to have a bigger turnout this time and my hope is that the majority of people are going to vote yes.”
As for April 12 at the Bowlerama, Meeks said that while it’s a pro-levy event for young people, “I would like to encourage as many adults as possible to come out.”
“If they like music and dancing, come out and have a good time,” Meeks said.
Meeks encouraged “people who might be against the levy or think they might be against the levy, to come out also, just to find out more information.”
“They might find something out that would change their minds,” Meeks said.
Meeks said that the new owners of the Bowlerama have been working on upgrading the facility.
“Their goal is to make the place a lot more family friendly,” Meeks said.