Hippodrome Theatre Announces Conclusion of Collier Challenge Campaign
1/22/2020
The Hippodrome Theatre is proud to announce the successful conclusion of The Collier Challenge fundraising campaign. Through the donations of 197 generous supporters, the Hippodrome was able to raise just over $84,000.
The Collier Challenge launched at the beginning of 2019 and ran through December 31. Nathan S. Collier, a decades long supporter of the Hippodrome, announced in late 2018 that he was challenging the other art supporters in the community to join him by giving to the Hippodrome. This campaign was a true matching gift program, meaning that Nathan S. Collier, through The Collier Companies, is matching dollar-for-dollar every pledge made to the campaign in 2019 and will continue to match those pledges every year for the next 9 years.
Patron donations will go towards program expenses, such as actor salaries and script royalties, as well as the expansion of the Education program. The theatre hopes to use the funds from Collier’s match to stabilize the theatre’s operations into the future, as federal funding for arts grants has steadily dried up in recent years.
“The Hippodrome is grateful beyond words for the support the community has shown us during this Collier Challenge,” says Artistic Director Stephanie Lynge. “Your belief in the importance of the Hippodrome will help us sustainably bring professional productions to Gainesville for years to come.”
This remarkable gift from Nathan S. Collier means that the Hippodrome can engage in long term planning, take risks on bigger musicals, newer plays, and much more that will be made possible through these funds.
The Hippodrome Theatre is a professional regional theatre founded in 1973. The non-profit organization has provided artistic excellence to the Gainesville area through NEA-award winning mainstage productions, art-house films, arts education, a visual art gallery, and special event programming for 47 years.
