The Earl and Rachel Smith Strand Theatre announced to a packed house of A Christmas Tradition patrons on Saturday night that its $250 Grand for The Strand fundraising campaign not only reached its goal but surpassed it.
The challenge began at the start of the year with a $250,000 pledge from Strand namesake Earl Smith toward closing out the renovation loan taken out when saving the historic art deco movie house from demolition in the early 2000s. The one condition of receiving that pledged donation was that The Strand had to raise its own $250,000 before the courthouse clock struck midnight on New Year’s Eve.
“We are honored by the community’s response to this campaign,” says Strand General Manager Andy Gaines, who made the announcement on stage flanked by past Strand Board Chairs Earl Smith, Stephen Imler, Faye DiMassimo, current Chair Kim Gresh, and former General Managers Earl Reece and Cassi Costoulas. “As soon as the challenge was set by Earl Smith to raise $250,000 in one year, I knew two things: that it wasn’t going to be easy, and that come hell or high water we were going to rise to that challenge. Earl has been such a champion for this theatre – letting him down wasn’t an option.”
“Come hell or high water we were going to rise to that challenge.”
The Strand surpassed its goal of $250,000 by raising over $360,000 in gifts and pledges in the past year of fundraising which, along with Earl’s matching donation of $250,000, will allow the theatre to pay off the balance on the renovation loan. Over 380 organizations and individuals donated to the campaign. The top donors are E. Smith Heating & Air Conditioning, the Herbert S. Goldstein Family Limited Partnership, SA White Oil Company, Superior Plumbing, and Synovus.
Hitting the ground running: moving forward into a debt-free future
The closeout of this campaign doesn’t mean complacency for the theatre, says Gaines.
“We’re definitely celebrating the success of this campaign, but that doesn’t mean we can take our foot off the gas — we’re still a nonprofit that depends on outside support. Becoming debt free means that we have a huge opportunity to focus our fundraising efforts on the mission-fulfilling projects we’ve been limited on in the past.”
Some of those efforts are already in the works. In tandem with The Strand’s announcement of the first films in its 2019 movie series — an eclectic mix of classic, modern, silent, and independent features – comes a commitment to put aside one dollar of every movie ticket sold into a fund to upgrade the theatre’s sound system.
Strand Marketing Director Manda Costoulas says an upgrade to the theatre’s sound system is sorely needed. “The number one place that our patrons tell us they want to see improvement is in our sound system. I’ve heard it plenty: people love the theatre, they want to support what we’re doing by coming to more events, but there’s part of the experience that isn’t working for them,” she says. “This dedicated fund from our movie ticket sales is only the first step toward the goal of providing our patrons with the quality experience they want and that we want to give them. It’s our way of saying ‘we hear you, we’re listening, and we’re committed to making it happen.’”
“We hear you, we’re listening, and we’re committed to making it happen.”
In addition to the sound system, The Strand is also looking toward securing funding to provide assistive listening technology to patrons, a lift from the backstage area (uniquely located underneath the stage itself) to the stage to provide better accessibility to those with disabilities, and expanding its existing outreach programs to bring the arts to traditionally underserved populations — all projects that align with The Strand’s values of inclusivity and community.
“We’ve had great groundwork laid in these areas by our leadership both past and present,” says Costoulas. “Now we have a chance to take that vision and run with it.”
“The arts are there for everyone,” adds Gaines, “and we want to be there for everyone, too.”
ABOUT THE STRAND The historic Earl and Rachel Smith Strand Theatre is a multi-use performing arts and events facility. The theatre is governed by the Friends of The Strand, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and depends on the financial support of private and corporate donors. It is The Strand’s mission to serve the community with cultural entertainment for a diverse audience and to promote economic health in the City of Marietta and Cobb County. For more information and tickets, visit www.StrandMarietta.org or contact the box office at 770-293-0080 or 117 North Park Square, Marietta. Box office hours are from 11AM-6PM, Monday through Friday, and 9AM-12PM on Saturdays. The box office opens two hours before showtime. The Strand can also be found at @StrandMarietta on Facebook and Instagram.