FOREST CITY – Waldorf University, the City of Forest City, and Forest City Community School District are pleased to welcome the Winnebago Industries Foundation as one of its most recent donors in the Hanson Family Fine Arts Center. The Hanson Family Fine Arts Center will be a two story, 29,743 square foot facility located in Forest City, Iowa and is scheduled to open in the fall of 2018 with a grand opening planned for October.
“The Hanson Family Fine Arts Center is a great partnership among many entities to recognize the importance of the fine arts in our community and region,” said Forest City School Superintendent and Hanson Family Fine Arts Center board member Darwin Lehmann.
A $12 million shared project to benefit Forest City and surrounding communities, the center will be used for university, school and local theater group performances, as well as regional and national touring groups.
“The Hanson Family Fine Arts Center is a tangible testament to what can be accomplished when a community comes together,” said Waldorf University President and Hanson Family Fine Arts Center board member Robert “Bob” Alsop. “As a fixture in our community, it is appropriate that Winnebago is prominently featured in the landscape of this facility.” The Winnebago Industries Foundation has committed a significant donation to the Hanson Family Fine Arts Center. As a result, the facility’s outdoor plaza will be named the Winnebago Plaza.
The Winnebago Industries Foundation has a goal of bringing life to the company’s purpose of outdoor lifestyle solutions through strategic community investment and volunteer initiatives. The foundation collaborates with Winnebago Industries team members and leaders to strengthen and support the communities where the Company’s 4,600 plus employees live, work and play.
“Winnebago and the Winnebago Industries Foundation are proud to partner with this visionary coalition of community leaders to support the Hanson Family Fine Arts Center,” said Winnebago Industries President and CEO Michael Happe. “At Winnebago, we strive to build enduring partnerships that align with our purpose and values. The Fine Arts Center will connect so many community assets—both within its walls and through the creative use of its outdoor gathering space, Winnebago Plaza. We are honored to build on our long history and contribute to the bright future of Forest City, and the surrounding North Iowa Area, for generations.”
“Through grants, donations and a successful partnership between the City of Forest City, Waldorf University and Forest City Community Schools the Fine Arts Center will open in October of this year,” said Forest City Mayor and Hanson Family Fine Arts Center board member Byron “Barney” Ruiter. “We are thankful for the generosity of Winnebago Industries for their significant donation to the Hanson Family Fine Arts Center.”
Wow. And this morning, they just laid off a bunch more of their Forest City employees.