Theater benefit passes goal; Imperial steps up

    Sometimes, when a community gets after a fundraising project, it really gets after it.
    That proved true this summer, when city officials and theater board members issued a plea to the community to help fund a new speaker system for the city-owned theater.
    Cost for the new speaker equipment was estimated at $11,340.
    The Imperial Community Foundation Fund offered a donation of $5,670, challenging the community to raise the other half.
    Community members, businesses and organizations not only met that 50% match but went beyond it significantly, said Tyler Pribbeno, the city’s Community Development Director and an ICFF board member.
    Beyond the ICFF’s challenge commitment of $5,670, local donations and a raffle raised $20,710, Pribbeno said.
    “We have such a generous community and this is even more proof that big things can happen when we come together for a common cause,” Pribbeno said.
    The new speakers have arrived, but the city is waiting on an audio specialist with the company to coordinate the installation. Pribbeno said they don’t have a firm date on when he can get here.
    When they do have a timeline, Pribbeno said they will be looking for a few volunteers to help remove the old speakers and assist with the surround sound.
    Several of the current speakers had blown out over the years, and they are old enough that the ones not working couldn’t be individually replaced, he said.
    That meant an entirely new speaker system.
    The center channel in the system also blew, Pribbeno added, and is why the audio for recent movies hasn’t been very clear.
    City officials don’t know what caused the blow outs, he said.
    Besides the ICFF challenge, other major donations to the fundraiser came from Imperial Rotary, which gave $5,000, and the Imperial Lions, who earmarked the first 4,000 quarters ($1,000) from its 2022 bingo operation for the fundraiser.
    Wolf Chevrolet Buick of Imperial also organized a raffle fundraiser for the theater, featuring prizes donated from local businesses.
    At last week’s drawing of winners, Wolf officials announced they would donate a matching amount of raffle tickets sold. The raffle raised $835, so with Wolf’s match, a total of $1,670 was received in proceeds.
    Pribbeno noted Wolf employees did all the legwork for the raffle, including collecting prizes from donors.
    Funds that exceed the sound system’s expenses will go to other theater improvements to be chosen by the theater board, according to Pribbeno.
    At recent meetings, the theater board has discussed needed upgrades including the restrooms and air conditioning in the concession stand, he said.