CHESTNUT MOUNTAIN, GEORGIA – APRIL 2010: For 25 years, Eagle Ranch in northeast Georgia has provided a home and Christ-centered inspiration to over 600 children in crisis. Set in the rolling foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, the 270-acre facility is comprised of six boys’ homes, four girls’ homes, an administration & counseling center, school for grades six through nine, a chapel, a gym, and a brand new lodge. Until the rustic Wink Wynne Lodge was completed, Eagle Ranch’s 60-some children gathered in the gym for movies and presentations, but with lighting and acoustics befitting basketball, the situation was far from ideal. The new lodge features a state-of-the-art 5.1 home theater system with an eight by fifteen-foot screen and peerless loudspeakers donated by Danley Sound Labs.
Architect Lamar Wakefield designed the beautiful 7,100 sq. ft. facility situated at the edge of Lake Hodge. With a kitchen and lounge areas, Wink
Wynne Lodge is now the central gathering place for the facility’s activities. In addition, local community members are invited to rent the Eagle Ranch facilities for weddings and other events, and the Lodge provides an ideal setting for receptions and parties.
Mike Hedden, president of Danley Sound Labs and dB Acoustics, a long-time supporter of Eagle Ranch, donated a full 5.1 system comprised of two SH-100BIs, two SH-100s, one SH-95, and two DTS-20 subwoofers. “We didn’t know that Mike was going to donate them during the design and pricing,” recalled Eagle Ranch operations manager Tim Wilson. “As our longtime A/V contractor dB Acoustics, who had done the sound systems in our chapel, gym, school, and administration buildings, recommended Danley loudspeakers and subs based on their reputation and sound quality, we were thrilled and thankful for the donation.” The system gets used for movies, presentations, and parties.
“The home theater looks and sounds amazing,” said Stefanie Long, director of communications at Eagle Ranch. “Just before we officially opened the Lodge up, Eagle Ranch founder, Eddie Staub brought the staff over to see it. We put a movie on to test the system, and it was very impressive. The floor shook and the whole thing felt like a high-end movie theater. We were blown away and I remember thinking, ‘the kids are gonna be here all the time for movie night!'”
Hedden noted, “I’ve been around Eagle Ranch almost from its inception in the mid 80’s and over the years have gotten to know Eddie Staub as well as many of the house parents and staff. This is a ministry of impeccable integrity and it is an honor to play a small part in coming alongside the work God is doing there. The true impact of the lives that have been changed will only be seen in eternity.”
The building was underwritten by the Robert Wynne family as a memorial to their son, Charles Wilson “Wink” Wynne, who died in a four-wheeler accident at the age of twenty. The family wanted to give Eagle Ranch a facility that would embody Wink’s adventurous spirit and his great love of the outdoors.
ABOUT DANLEY SOUND LABS Danley Sound Labs is the exclusive home of Tom Danley, one of the most innovative loudspeaker designers in the industry today and recognized worldwide as a pioneer for “outside the box” thinking in professional audio technology.
