Local Rotary Clubs Grant $15K to Ridgefield Playhouse for New Lighting

This past week the Area 3 Rotary Clubs (Ridgefield, Ridgefield Sunrise, Danbury, and Newtown) presented the Ridgefield Playhouse, a non-profit performing arts center, with a Rotary District Grant check for $15,000 to go towards upgrading the lighting in the theater.

Pictured (left) are Geri Blair, Secretary of Ridgefield Sunrise Rotary, Kristina Kelly, President of Ridgefield Rotary, Barbara Lane, President of Ridgefield Sunrise Rotary, Allison Stockel, Executive Director of The Ridgefield Playhouse and Rotary member, Rich Vazzana, Assistant Governor Area 3 and Mary Griffin, President of Newtown Rotary.

"Money for lighting may not sound sexy," said Executive Director and longtime Rotarian Allison Stockel, "but it is necessary to continue to do the work we do."

And the work The Playhouse does is special to many people. From donating free tickets to students from title 1 schools to come see arts in education shows, to donating to other nonprofits and doing many town wide events (such as the free Shakespeare on the Green summer event and the free Martin Luther King Jr. day event each year) - the Ridgefield Playhouse is an integral part of the community.

In addition to bringing first class entertainment in all aspects of the arts to the town, The Playhouse has more than 100,000 people walk through its doors annually, pumping an additional estimated $2 million dollars to the local economy by having those people eat, drink and shop in Ridgefield and the surrounding area.

"These lights are necessary to help us upgrade our production elements, which in turn will keep the bigger acts wanting to come back," Said Mrs. Stockel. "And those successful shows, attract patrons, sponsors, and donors, which helps us do our job and complete our mission every day."

For more information about the Ridgefield Playhouse and to see their complete line up of shows, visit www.ridgefieldplayhouse.org.