Restoration fundraising efforts continue for Loudonville's historic 1910 Ohio Theatre as local talent, combined with recent donations, is building excitement within the Loudonville Theatre Advisory Committee for the first benefit event scheduled at the Theatre on August 26, 2000.

Chairperson Kerry MacQueen happily reports that a $1,000 donation was received from the Loudonville Lioness Club. This donation falls into the Corporate & Organization Benefactor Category and is the largest donation received to date. The Loudonville Lioness Club will be featured in the "Thank You" section of the new Loudonville Theatre Advisory Committee web site, www.ohiotheatre.org along with names and amounts of other donations given to the theatre. Fundraising Chairperson, Suzanne Ferencak said, "Donations of this size are so encouraging because that kind of money is what will truly help these restoration efforts happen. Loudonville is a very generous town and the Theatre Committee is so grateful to the Lioness Club for their exceptional generosity. The push is on now to sell the sponsorships and pull together all the publicity efforts to date to reach our goal for this event of $20,000."

The live entertainment for the benefit on August 26 is taking shape as well. The day's schedule begins at 2:00 pm with a matinee showing of the famous movie, Wizard of Oz. At 4:00 pm members of the Paradise Valley Singers, Bridge Street Music Company and other talented volunteers take the stage for a musical singing performance. Performers include Ruth Nave Allen, Julio Assis, Darrallynn Cain, Chris Cronebach, Jim Kirkpatrick, Barb Koll, Jerry McCluggage, Paul Snyder and Kim Stull. At 7:00 pm the Loudonville Players take the stage and will be performing musical numbers from past performances including Oklahoma, Sound of Music, Guys & Dolls, Fiddler on the Roof and Brigadoon. At 11:00 pm, a late night showing of the newly popular combination of Wizard of OZ accompanied by the sound track of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon will complete the day's benefit events. For more information on the schedule and sponsorship of various aspects of the benefit event, check the web site or contact one of the Loudonville Theatre Advisory Committee Members.

Ruth Nave Allen, a Loudonville resident and past director of 10 minstrel shows, was so inspired about the famous stage opening up to live entertainment again, that she wrote a poem about the cherished Ohio Theatre. The poem will also be featured on the web site under the History and Essays section. The Committee encourages anyone who would like to submit historical or personal writings about the theater to log on to the web site and send text via e-mail to essays@ohiotheatre.org or fax to (419) 994-0610.