NyECC is a bit ‘cooler’ thanks to donation from the Rotary Club

Service above self.

It’s one of the two core mottoes that the Rotary Club and each of its chapters across the globe live by, with members taking on all kinds of projects every year in the aim of bettering their communities.

Locally, the Rotary Club of Pahrump Valley recently took on the task of improving what has become a well-known hub of the community, the NyE Communities Coalition. Thanks to the generosity and efforts of club president Eddie Williams and many others, the club was able to fund the installation of a brand new shade structure on the face of one of the campus’ most publicly-used buildings, the Activities Center.

Williams remarked, it was a project that he was more than happy to push forward and it will now provide a much-needed bit of shelter for those utilizing the Activities Center throughout the year.

To celebrate the dedication of the new shade structure, the Rotary Club held a ribbon-cutting ceremony just after its regular club meeting on Tuesday, April 11.

“I understand that this has been a long time coming,” Williams said, thanking everyone who had gathered beneath the metal awning for the ceremony. “It is a great honor for me to be here and to be able to do this.”

Williams explained that the new shade structure was a product of his President’s Project for his 2022-2023 term. “I went to talk to Stacy (Smith, NyECC chief executive officer) and I said, ‘Stacy, this is what I’d like to do, what the Rotary Club would like to do, is put up this shade cover.’ And lo and behold, Stacy was really excited about that because she’s one of the ladies that’s been really interested in getting some type of shade cover over the entrance to this heavily used building right here.”

The process all started in October last year with an estimate from a construction company. This led to fundraising efforts, during which Valley Electric Association reached out to Williams to connect him with one of the co-op’s charitable foundation programs.

“Valley Electric reached out and said ‘Eddie, it isn’t guaranteed but send us the information’, so that’s what I did,” Williams said. “Two or three months went by and all of a sudden… I got this call from Beth Lee (Valley Electric Community Relations Manager) and she says, ‘Guess what Eddie? You got approved!’”

After the donation check of $6,000 was unveiled in a surprise presentation at a Rotary meeting, Williams said the Rotary board of directors voted to fund the shade structure project in its entirety, which was a surprise to Williams himself. The total cost to build was $8,900.

“We got it completed and when I looked at it, I thought wow, this looks really nice. I’m quite sure the townspeople are going to appreciate. I’m going to appreciate it because like we are demonstrating right now; it’s pretty warm out there if you’re standing in the sun in front of the entrance to this Activities Center but it’s nice and cool, with a nice breeze following, in the shade,” Williams said.

Smith was obviously thrilled by the new addition to the NyECC campus, telling the Pahrump Valley Times that the benefit it provides is three-fold.

“We’ve had many people stand in the heat, and sometimes occasionally in the rain, but aside from that, my biggest thing was, a lot of times people didn’t know where to go because the building is kind of flat and of the same size,” Smith detailed. “So with this being here, number one it provides the shade and the protection for people who are out here, especially when they are lining up for events, and number two, it gives them a visual cue that says, ‘This is the entrance.’

“It also helps with safety, because we have had a lot of people try to cut through here,” Smith continued, indicating a concrete curb that previously posed a trip hazard. The Rotary Club project included the installation of metal poles to block this hazard. “So it’s helped us with our safety, with our comfort, and with our overall visual affect. We really appreciate it.”

The Rotary Club of the Pahrump Valley meets each Tuesday at noon at Artesian Cellars, 1731 S. Highway 160 or virtually through Zoom, with the exception of the fourth Tuesday of the month, which is an evening meeting. For more information on the Rotary Club or how to join, visit www.PVRotaryClub.org or call 702-672-6559.

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com