For those of us with good knees, hips, and joints, not having access to an elevator isn’t a big deal. It’s fine — we’ll just take the stairs.
But for those who can’t walk up stairs — either due to bad joints or because they rely on walkers and wheelchairs — not having access to an elevator is a major problem. And now that the elevator at the Southeast Seattle Senior Center (SESSC) has broken down for good, a number of the center’s elders are facing a significant amount of social isolation.
Ark Lodge Cinemas, Columbia City’s movie theater, launched a GoFundMe on September 19 with the goal of raising $750,000. It’s an ambitious first step in the Ark owner David McRae’s long-term hope of raising $3 million overall, enough to buy the almost 100-year-old Masonic building and securing the theater as the “Gem of Columbia City” for years to come. In addition to the GoFundMe, the Ark launched a capital campaign to attract bigger investors, with rewards ranging from limited edition T-shirts to opportunities to rename the Ark’s screening rooms. In almost two weeks, the GoFundMe has raised close to $40,000, and at least one of the capital campaign rewards has been claimed.
