Gooch provides funding to for Project Future furnaces

By Benjamin Joe

Project Future of Western New York, a martial arts studio at 2720 Niagara Falls Blvd., recently received some help from Niagara County Legislator Jesse Gooch in regard to the building’s furnaces.

The building has been in use since the 1990s, and one of the furnaces had to be immediately replaced, according to Martin Drake, the head of the organization since its founder Robert Heisner died.

“We’re just trying to keep Mr. Heisner’s legacy alive, that’s the main thing. We’re trying to upgrade the facilities and one of the furnaces quit just before the studio’s Christmas party,” Drake said.

Gooch was able to dip into his 2025 community partnership funds to pay that bill and get funds to replace another furnace that was on its way out. The total cost was $6,700.

“He kind of saved Christmas,” Drake said. “It turned out good and we’re just pleased that the community has embraced us, and especially Jesse Gooch. What a wonderful guy.”

Gooch said he was happy to help the organization, as he’d befriended Heisner years before. He admired the teachings of the dojo and noted it blended discipline and faith.

“I was friends with Mr. Heisner,” Gooch said. “We became friends several years back. We’re both community guys; we both care deeply about the community; and I was really interested in what he was doing over there.

“It really promotes discipline, accountability and self-protection. What I really liked about Mr. Heisner was he really did a lot of work with inner city kids and a lot of troubled kids, and he was able to transform the futures for kids who most people would call ‘bad kids.’ ”

Future Project is also planning on putting in more insulation inside the building, as well as redoing the floors and carpets.

Drake noted the furnaces were installed on time to take advantage of rebates for gas furnaces. If the studio had waited for the new year, it would’ve been too late.

As to the martial arts programs, Drake said the children’s program is going strong, but he hopes more adults will join the studio for training. He invited anyone interested to check out the organization’s website at https://projectfuturecenter.com/.