Letter: BART Pleased With Community Support of Virtual Fundraising Event

03:00PM / Monday, May 17, 2021Print Story | Email Story

To the Editor:

On Saturday, April 10, Berkshire Arts & Technology (BART) Charter Public School hosted our first-ever virtual Get BART Smart fundraiser – and raised $20,000 to support student programming! A huge "thank you" to all who played and made it a great evening!

The night couldn’t have happened without the support of many local organizations and businesses.

Thank you to our Valedictorian sponsor for the evening, Adams Community Bank!

Thank you to our High Honor Roll sponsors: Aladco Linen Services, Berkshire Bank, Cordmaster Engineering, and MountainOne. We also thank our Honor Roll sponsors: HR Knowledge, Interprint, and Scarafoni Associates.

The list above doesn’t include all of the additional local businesses that supported at other sponsor levels or donated prizes. We are grateful for all of your amazing support!

BART is a nationally recognized, award-winning, college-preparatory, public middle and high school located in Adams. The only charter school in Berkshire County, it is consistently ranked among the top schools in Massachusetts for student academic achievement and growth. BART serves students in grades 6-12 from cities and towns throughout the Berkshires.

Finally, many thanks to the trustees, faculty, staff, and others who contributed their time, money, and effort to bring to life this virtual event. Their dedication to the BART community is truly humbling.

Sincerely,

Fred Puddester
Williamstown, Mass.
Member BArT Board of Trustees

Tags: BArT,

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After More Than a Century, Heating Failure Puts Adams Turners' Future at Risk

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
07:20AM / Sunday, September 27, 2026

ADAMS, Mass. — For more than a century, generations have gathered for dances, community gatherings and bowling at Turn Hall, but that longtime tradition is now in jeopardy after the building's aging heating system failed.

The Adams community is known for rallying behind local people and organizations in times of need, and now Adams Turners is asking for that same support said Gail Burda, the group's financial secretary.

The boiler, referred to as "the Beast" by board members, is as old as the building itself, which was constructed in 1902. It started out burning coal, was later switched to oil and then to gas President Virginia Fuller said.

For several years, the nonprofit social club, a 501(c)7, has struggled with the aging system, with members periodically checking on it throughout the day during the winter to ensure it was still operating, she said.

Now, "the Beast" has reached the end of its life but the Adams Turners don't have the funding to replace it, prompting them to establish a GoFundMe.

At the time of writing, the GoFundMe has raised $1,750 and members have donated more than $2,500 toward the $30,000 needed to secure an additional $25,000 grant and $25,000 loan from American Turners, the national organization under which the club operates.

The nonprofit hopes to hire a contractor to install a multi-zone hydronic system, a project estimated to cost $81,443. The work would include new heating systems for the apartment, bar area, gym and bowling alley, along with new baseboards, gas lines, permits and other necessary fittings.

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