NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The New Rochelle Public Library Foundation is offering supporters a number of ways, at every donor level, to be a part of the Ossie Davis Theater, the Library’s newly renovated performance space that houses hundreds of community, cultural and arts events each year.
For the next six months, individuals, social groups, community groups and businesses have a unique opportunity to “purchase” naming rights on the Ossie Davis Theater’s new seats or be recognized in vestibule and other signage during the “Name-a-Seat” Fundraiser.
The newly refurbished Ossie Davis theater will include 138 individual seats aligned in 10 rows; 124 seats are available for naming. Supporters of the Library and the arts who donate $300 per seat to be “named” in the fifth through 10th rows will be recognized with a nameplate on each seat “purchased.” A donation of $1,000 allows a donor to name one of 38 premium seats in the second through fourth rows.
Donors may select the message they wish to put on the seat’s armrest nameplate, up to three lines of 27 characters each, including spaces and punctuation.
“Perhaps 30 members of a scout troop, book club or sports team will each contribute $10 to name a seat or a graduating senior class will name a seat as a class gift or dedication to a favorite teacher,” said Dr. Cheryl Archbald, co-chair of the New Rochelle Public Library Foundation fundraising committee. “This is a wonderful opportunity for PTAs, neighborhood associations and other community and civic groups that represent our diverse community to support the arts and be represented in one of the city’s most valued cultural centers.”
Supporters who wish to select the exact seat to be named and donate electronically may use the NRPL Foundation’s interactive Select-a-Seat tool at nrplfoundation.org/ossiedavistheater. Others may contact Betsy Kravitz, co-chair of the NRPL Foundation fundraising committee, at bmk926@aol.com.
Donors interested in contributing larger amounts may name entire rows of seats at a discounted rate per seat or be recognized on high-profile naming plaques inside the theater, inside the vestibule adjacent to the refurbished Memorial Highway entrance or inside the vestibule near the Lawton Street entrance.
All seat and vestibule naming is on a first-come, first-served basis.
A donor appreciation event is scheduled for October 2013.
Along with the new seating and exterior signage and entrance work, the Ossie Davis Theater upgrade includes assistive listening technology, greater accessibility and upgraded fire suppression, HVAC and other systems. The renovations bring the theater up to current Americans with Disability Act standards and safety requirements.
The Foundation granted the Library more than $106,000 to partially underwrite the cost of the remodel. The Library also received a $214,000 New York state Public Library Construction Grant and funds from the Library’s 2010 capital improvement bond.
For more information on naming seats in the Ossie Davis Theater call the NRPL Foundation at 914-632-7878, ext. 1600 or email info@nrplfoundation.org. Brochures with Name-a-Seat fundraiser order forms that detail the fundraiser are available at the Library.
For details, please check the NRPL Foundation website at http://www.nrplfoundation.org/