TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — The Community Theatre of Terre Haute has announced that the nearly 100-year-old organization has reached its goal set through the Wabash Valley Community Foundation’s Match Madness program.
According to the Wabash Valley Community Foundation website, the Match Madness program is “an Agency Endowment Matching Program to start new or grow existing funds.” Supporting several local non-profits, the new program will offer a new and more sustainable way to donate to local not-for-profit organizations throughout the Wabash Valley.
Anthony Dinkel is a volunteer at the Community Theatre of Terre Haute and has taken on many roles, including Treasurer, Fund Development Chair, Director, and more. Dinkel explained how the endowment would benefit the theatre and other local nonprofits for an extended period of time.
“The Community Foundation has been a partner for us for years. They’ve given us grants for capital improvements for operational things over the years, but the reason we really wanted to participate in the Match Madness program for the endowment was it really lets us tell a story to our donors, that this is another way that you can donate to the theater.”
As multiple local non-profit organizations are participating in the Wabash Valley Community Foundation’s Match Madness program, some organizations have yet to meet their goal and donations can still be made to help support a wide range of non-profits in the area until the end of the month.
Having met their $5,000 donation goal, through the Match Madness program, the theater will have a more secure source of funding to continue fulfilling the organization’s mission and bringing arts and entertainment to the community.
“It provides predictable, reliable income each year,” Dinkel said. “We can use that towards our mission, so it’s less money that we have to put towards you know insurance bills and electrical bills and things to operate a huge facility like we have it, it gives us that cushion to put more funding towards our programs.”
The theater, which opened in 1926, has been kept alive by the many Terre Haute residents who have shown dedication to the community and to theater arts. Dinkel noted how true that commitment and community still is today.
“Our motto is ‘Where everyone plays a part,’ and it’s really true because people from all walks of life, all backgrounds, come through the door and work together to make a show happen,” Dinkel said. “And it’s all because of the people that came before us. They really were committed to this cause that made sure we were set up for success.”
To continue supporting the theater, visit their donation page, or check out their Facebook page or website to see upcoming and ongoing productions and to stay up-to-date with theater events.
