You have to admire the energy and, indeed, community spirit behind an effort launched by a group of Negaunee High School graduates to help raise money to support repairs at the Vista Theater.

For those readers who may have missed initial reports, the roof at the historic structure collapsed after a drain clogged, allowing water from heavy rains to collect.

With winter looming, organizers have been scrambling to raise money to stabilize things. To date, about $12,000 has been generated through an online GoFundMe campaign.

That’s a nice start but still represents but a fraction of the $100,000 that’s needed.

In steps the Negaunee High School Class of 1969 to lend a hand. The group is taking donations from its own members for the Vista and challenging other NHS classes to do the same.

Fran Lukkarinen, who resides in Gwinn, is a Negaunee High School graduate from the Class of 1969. According to a front page story in The Mining Journal, the hope is for other classes to match what the Class of ’69 has donated, but if another class tops the matched donation mark, it won’t matter to Lukkarinen, who said the more money to save the theater, the better.

We couldn’t agree more and we encourage other NHS classes to step forward and help support saving the Vista Theater.

This building represents much more to the community than simply a venue to see live stage plays.

Certainly it is all of that but much more, too. It’s a viable piece of Negaunee’s community identity, and as such, should be preserved.

Many thanks go out to the Class of 1969 for recognizing that fact.