With the opening ceremony for SOSS and the new Venables Theatre, February 6th, the Adopt-a-Seat campaign has drawn to a close. The Adopt-a-Seat committee is proud to announce that the campaign has raised $134,764, far exceeding our goal of $100,000. We would like to thank all of our donors for their generosity and commitment to the Venables Theatre. We also offer a special thank you to Cindy Gilbert and Mitch VanAller of SD53 for all of their hard work and assistance to the committee.
The Adopt-a-Seat campaign was initiated in 2008 when Superintendent of Schools Juleen McElgunn created an opportunity and a challenge. The opportunity was created when SD53 purchased seats from Penticton Secondary School that allowed for plaques to be attached to the back of the seats. The challenge was to solicit donations by selling seat plagues. The funds would be used to purchase theatre equipment critical to a modern multi-purpose theatre but not included in the theatre refurbishment due to budget constraints.
Several individuals volunteered to take up the challenge and formed the Adopt-a-Seat committee. The committee members were Martin Cattermole, Ernie Dumais, John Echlin, Catherine Hahn, Tara Hovanes, Yvonne Moore, Sue Morhun, and Brita Park. Joy Venables joined the group at a later date.
The Adopt-a-Seat campaign was launched and for the next three years donations mounted as the Venables Auditorium refurbishment progressed. In September of 2011 all of our plans changed with the fire that razed the school and Venables Auditorium. At that point it was uncertain whether a new theatre would be built.
With tremendous cooperation between our BC Government, SD53, the Town of Oliver, and Area C of the RDOS it was agreed that a new theatre would be built. We believe the community involvement, through the Adopt-a-Seat campaign, helped in the decision that was made.
With the new theatre assured the committee re-launched the Adopt-a-Seat campaign trying to stay as true as possible to the campaign’s original intent.
In the end your donations contributed to upgrading the theatre in the following ways:
- A state of the art projection system which was purchased prior to the fire. It was the system that was used to host the 2010 Vancouver Olympics opening ceremonies. Although lost in the fire it was included in the funds to rebuild the theatre.
- Working with the South Okanagan Concert Society a concert grand piano was purchased and held in storage awaiting the new theatre’s completion.
- The remainder of funds were used for upgrades to lighting and sound systems. Although not overtly visible the upgrades will enhance performances held in the theatre.
As much as we desired to stick with the original plan to mount plaques on seats the committee was advised that it was not possible with the new seating. Working with architect Robert Cesnik of CEI Architecture it was decided that a donor wall would be the best alternative. The wall is a series of five panels. The first panel has a brief biography of Frank Venables and stylized artwork by Bill Ross showing the school and the Venables Auditorium. The remaining four panels show our donors with the inscriptions that would have appeared on the individual plaques. There is also room for more panels to recognize future fund raising events.
Those of you that have seen the new Venables Theatre realize how fortunate our community is. It is a theatre to be envied by all. It may not have the historical significance of the old Venables Auditorium but it provides us the opportunity to build a new history and the same cherished memories.
Again thank you to all who participated in the Adopt-a-Seat campaign and to all those who made the new Venables Theatre possible.
On behalf of the Adopt-a-Seat Committee
Martin Cattermole & Ernie Dumais