Los Alamos residents Kevin Holsapple and his wife Kris Raber issue a ‘Call To Action’ to the community to support SALA Los Alamos Event Center. Courtesy photo
By KEVIN HOLSAPPLE and KRIS RABER
Los Alamos
SALA Los Alamos Event Center is finishing a terrific first year providing the Los Alamos community with a vibrant and welcoming space for events and entertainment. Moviegoing is an option once again after years of a dark theater in our downtown. A local business is showing leadership in proactively supporting non-profits and providing a place for community activities. Believe me though – operating a small business like this in our town is not an undertaking for the faint-hearted. A significant number of local citizens and organizations have stepped forward to provide support by becoming members, but many more are needed. Regular and routine community support will be critical to the survival of SALA’s ambitious project.
We both believe that SALA has become an essential asset to our community. It is a place for people to come together, share experiences, and create meaningful connections and it is working. We can think of no better or more important initiative to enhance community life in Los Alamos so we have chosen to ‘put our money where our mouth is’ and be members. We see danger though that our community takes the existence of SALA for granted – leaving it to someone else see it is sustained. We want to urge your action to be involved – let’s not wake up again someday and bemoan why we don’t have a theater and why there is yet another vacant business property in our downtown – we all can make a difference in our own ways to make sure that never happens again.
Here are some ways you can help:
Become a member. Members receive several valuable perks including providing support to the local nonprofit of your choice, but we argue that the most important reason to be a member is to be a part of sustaining this valuable community asset. SALA is offering special perks during their member drive between now and Dec. 19. https://sala.losalamos.com/friends-of-sala/
Purchase and give gift cards this holiday season. Friends and loved ones will not only receive the gift of local entertainment, but you will also expose them to the importance of sustaining this valuable community asset.
Hold your next party or event at SALA and encourage your employer and organizations you are part of to do the same. It’s a great place for events and rates are quite reasonable.
Ask your employer if they would establish an employee membership plan for you and your co-workers as a valuable employee benefit and to help sustain SALA. SALA will work with employers to establish an affordable, beneficial plan.
Donate. Any amount, no matter how small, will make a difference.
Volunteer your time. There are a variety of ways to help during the year and it is a way to help even if you do not feel you can help financially.
Encourage County Councilors to make support of local small businesses a priority and to take quick, positive action on SALA’s Local Economic Development Act (LEDA) application. This is on the Council Agenda for Tuesday, Dec. 12.
Spread the word about SALA. Tell your friends and family about SALA and encourage them to get involved to help sustain SALA.
As members, we want you to know about SALA’s membership drive event at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 17. There will be holiday cheer, holiday movies to choose from, and the opportunity to show your support.
RSVP for this event is required at https://sala.losalamos.com/events/sala-holiday-party/
Please take action and get involved. Together, our community can make sure that SALA continues to be a vibrant and thriving part of our community for many years to come.
Have a great holiday season, and thank you for joining us to make our community the best place it can be.
Sincerely,
Kevin Holsapple and Kris Raber
