STAR-BULLETIN / 2001
The Hawaii state legislature will appropriate $1 million to help restore the historic Hawaii Theatre.
The Hawaii Theatre Center has received $1 million from the Hawaii state legislature to help restore the historic facility. Hawaii Theatre
receives $1 millionStar-Bulletin
The appropriation will help the center reach its $10 million goal to restore the building theater's facade and retire its mortgage. The campaign, entitled "Light Up the Hawaii!," has raised more than $8 million to date and is in its final stages under the leadership of HTC Chairman Robert Midkiff.
The center also has received a prestigious Kresge Foundation Challenge Grant of $500,000. An additional $1.5 million must be raised to receive the grant.
"This Kresge challenge is a wonderful opportunity to leverage capital campaign contributions in the coming months," said Midkiff. "We at the Hawaii Theatre are honored to share the company of such other recent Kresge grantees as the Carnegie Hall Society, New York Library, Oregon Public Broadcasting and the Contemporary Arts Center of Cincinnati."
The theater's capital campaign includes the "seat campaign," with supporters offered the opportunity to permanently "name" a specific seat in the theater for a contribution of $1,000 to $5,000.
"We have sold over 500 seats so far and this effort involves a large group of volunteers soliciting community members to honor loved ones in a permanent way," said Midkiff.
Commemorative opportunities for larger gifts also exist. Initial naming opportunities have been secured for the previously announced J. Watumull Outer Lobby, and the Henry Zuberano Stage.
Several large gifts and foundation grants in recent months have boosted HTC's capital campaign by $775,000. A $500,000 grant was received from the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation for use in restoring the theater facade. A $175,000 gift from the Frear Trust will help with the reconstruction of the vertical sign. The Teruya Foundation's gift of $100,000 will be memorialized with a plaque under the Hamlet bas relief in the loge area.
Marie Lord, widow of "Hawaii Five-0" actor Jack Lord, has donated $200,000 for the marquee in her husband's memory. Other support is being sought to name the theater dome, banquet room, fire curtain, grand drape, orchestra pit, cinema screen and dressing rooms.
"We plan to start construction after the first of the year," Midkiff said.
For more information, or to contribute to the Kresge Challenge Grant, call Sanae Tokumura at 396-6070.
Click for online
calendars and events.
