Many generous friends of live performance have stepped up to support the revitalization of the Annne Portnuff Theatre at Yorkton Regional High School.
According to a report given to members of the Portnuff revitalization committee (on February 6, 2017) just over $12,948.00 has been donated directly by groups and individuals so far. With the provision of a recently announced Community Inititiatives (CIS) grant of $25,000 from the Province of Saskatchewan, plus a fifty-four thousand dollar start-up fund from Good Spirit School Division, the project total of $92,000.00 is approaching the 鈥渙ne-third done鈥� mark, says Tonia Vermette of the Yorkton Arts Council, who are participating in the project .
鈥淥n the other hand鈥�, says Vermette, 鈥渨e do feel a sense of urgency to complete the fund-raising stage, if possible, this year.鈥�
鈥淚n part, the urgency is because grants come with a time line and we must be ready to install over 700 new seats into our iconic theatre by summer of 2018.鈥�
Total cost of seats and installation, plus some other 鈥渢ouch up items鈥� will be close to $300,000.00,聽 adding, 鈥淚n some ways it鈥檚 a challenging number, but we are confident, with further support from the community,, YRHS alumni and hopefully,聽 more major corporate donors, we will be 鈥� over the top鈥� this year.鈥�
Donations of any amount are welcomed, but people who will donate a single seat 鈥� cost of ($350.00) or more, may have their named placed on a seat-back plaque and the committee is planning a special 鈥渄onor recognition wall鈥� for corporate and other potential large donations. (The 2016 YRHS alumni are an example of a group donation - over $2000.00 鈥� and at least one other class has committed funds to the project)聽 Donors may give directly at the YRHS office or on line at www.TheAnnePortnuff.ca. A Facebook page is in process.
The Portnuff project includes funding partners partners: Dance Innovations, Free My Muse Theatre Company, Parkland Dance festival, Troyanda Dance Ensemble, Yorkton Arts Council, Yorkton Music Festival Association, Yorkton Regional High School, Yorkton Community Bands and Yorkton Kalyna Dance.
The Portnuff Theatre seats are 鈥渟howing their age鈥� having hosted thousands of student and other community theatrical/musical/public events since its opening in 1967.
Contact: Tonia Vermette [email protected] 306.786.8722
Jack Dawes [email protected] 306.621.9535 (cell/text)
Notes:. (The 2016 YRHS alumni are an example of a group donation - over $2000.00 鈥� and at least one other class has committed funds to the project.) 聽
The committee is also happy to consider 鈥渋n-kind鈥� donations such as they received for the web site- www.TheAnnePortnuff.ca donated by Uncommonsense Web Solutions
