One downtown Claremore business will get a fresh coat of paint thanks to Claremore Main Street volunteers and Keep Oklahoma Beautiful’s Fresh Paint Days grant.
Volunteers will gather on Tuesday (Sept. 19) evening to paint part of the interior of The Cranberry Merchant, 417 W. Will Rogers Blvd. The building is more than 100 years old.
“I’m really excited The Cranberry Merchant was chosen for Fresh Paint Days,” said Chelsea Mize, owner of the antique store. “The supplies and the volunteers will help us spruce up our building.”
The “Paint Party” will begin at 4 p.m. and will go through 9 p.m. Supplies and dinner will be provided to volunteers, whether they’re able to give just an hour or stay for the duration. All are welcome.
“I’m excited to get right down to the nitty gritty and help one of our businesses make this improvement,” said Jessica Jackson, director of Claremore Main Street. “We hope to see a lot of volunteers come out and show their support of downtown with a little sweat equity.”
The volunteer painters will be replacing green and maroon paint inside with recycled, almond-colored H-I-S paint provided by the grant.
Fresh Paint Days is a program founded on the collaboration between H-I-S Paint and Keep Oklahoma Beautiful. KOB, with the help of sponsors, provides the paint and a stipend for supplies; selected communities supply the volunteers. This program has helped to revitalize communities across Oklahoma with a fresh coat of paint.
Claremore Main Street and the Cranberry Merchant are among 47 participating groups working on the 66 chosen projects across the state.
H-I-S Paint and Keep Oklahoma Beautiful started the Fresh Paint Days program in 2005.
“H-I-S Paint is proud to have participated for the past 10 years in the Fresh Paint Days in Oklahoma initiative, and we are eager to see the transformations for 2017,” said Joe Cox, founder and CEO of H-I-S Paint. “We know that each gallon of paint that we donate helps to Keep Oklahoma Beautiful by transforming communities one building at a time.”
Natalie Evans, the projects coordinator for KOB, works with potential participants throughout the application process.
“I am consistently amazed by the vision these groups have for brighter, more beautiful communities,” Evans said. “These participants were chosen because of that vision, and we are excited to support them as they endeavor to revitalize their communities. Fresh Paint Days truly is a great opportunity for these groups to reinstate community pride.”
Claremore Main Street is dedicated to its mission to enrich downtown Claremore by promoting a healthy downtown economy and advocating for revitalization and historic preservation. It is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that was established in 2002.
For more information, call Jackson at 918-341-5881 or email mainstreet@claremore.org.
