Chamber of Southwest Florida Leadership Lee County’s Community UP Rising Effort Raises Support for Harlem Heights Cultural Arts & Community Center

Fort Myers, FL, June 16, 2011 --(PR.com)-- The 2010 Class of the Chamber of Southwest Florida’s Leadership Lee County program led the way to kick off the final phase of fundraising for The Heights Foundation in its mission to restart construction on the Harlem Heights Cultural Arts & Community Center. The group raised $37,000 in donations from the Community UP Rising event held on June 1 at the Heights Center. The Center will provide enhanced access to the arts and improved education, training and enrichment programs for the residents of Harlem Heights and surrounding neighborhoods of Harlem Heights. With nearly $450,000 of the $6.5 million capital campaign goal remaining to be raised, members of Leadership Lee County are still asking the community to support the building the project.

In addition to expressive arts and education, the Center will feature a 250-seat auditorium, a culinary arts training kitchen and a computer learning center.

About the Heights Foundation
Located off Gladiolus Drive and bordered by Summerlin Road and McGregor Blvd., approximately 1,200 children live within the boundaries of Harlem Heights. Most of the residents are economically challenged and many are unemployed. According to the 2000 census, over one-third (36%) live below the Federal poverty level, a rate that is 100% greater than the Lee County average. The Heights Foundation is a grassroots organization that works to break the cycle of poverty in the Harlem Heights neighborhood. The Foundation’s mission is to promote family and community development, support education and wellness, and provide the benefits of the cultural and expressive arts. The Foundation is working to build a cultural arts and community center in Harlem Heights.

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