Auditorium Seating For Concert Hall

Ithaca, New York — The Ithaca State Theater has achieved its fundraising goal for the "Seat Saver" campaign, with 1,600 seats sold since November 10.

The start of the event was to alleviate some budget issues caused by the coronavirus shutdown and its impact on large-scale events and gatherings, which account for most of the theater's annual revenue. Since mid-March, all live performances in the theater have been postponed.

Essentially, seats can be purchased and "saved" for $100, and personalized plaques are affixed to the seats to commemorate their purchase. To make up for the $160,000 budget deficit, the theater began selling 1,600 seats and achieved its goal in less than two months.

Executive Director Doug Levine said: "All the love and support we have received absolutely shocked us." "Before launching the "Save Your Seat" campaign, we are working closely with the Board of Directors and the Finance Committee. Discussions to shut down or at least cut more core staff. Knowing that we can reach the goal of $160,000 in less than 8 weeks is both shocking and exciting. We will not only be in every building Add a plaque to each seat, and at least until the end of the entire fiscal year, we will be able to continue to hire our core employees. With additional assistance from the federal government, we hope that all our employees can participate and Finalize some other construction projects until we can safely reopen it to the public."

Katie Foley, Chairman of the Development Committee, stated that this funding is essential to help the National Theatre maintain its livelihood, especially considering that it attracts $400,000 in “grants, donations and sponsorships” each year to maintain financial stability. This funding is crucial.

The theater’s announcement also thanked Tompkins Trust Company for its donation, because the local bank sponsored the first two rows of the band downstairs. Other companies in the buying line include: B&W Supply, Cayuga Radio Group, CFCU Community Credit Union, Greenscene Lawn & Garden, Ithaca Asthma & Allergy Associates, Ithaca Guitar Works, Sciarabba Walker & Company, STREAM Collective and Travis Hyde Properties, as well as several representative companies buying seats.

Matt Butler is an education and public health journalist for Ithaca Voice. You can contact him at mbutler@ithacavoice.com.

Ithaca Voice is an online-only non-profit news website that serves Ithaca and Tompkins counties. It was launched in June 2014 and is a free and independent news source.

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