The Penn Yan Theatre Company has received $12,512 in grants from the Yates Community Endowment and Rochester Area Community Foundation to support various projects.
In June, PYTCo received $7,500 in funding from the Yates Community Endowment of Rochester Area Community Foundation to be used towards the renovation of the Historic Sampson Theatre. Renovation planning is underway for the theatre, and site work and permitting process is expected to begin this Fall.
In July, PYTCo received $5,012 from the Community Foundation’s Arts Prevail Fund to purchase an upgraded computer along with post-production editing software, lighting, sound, and other equipment needed to continue to provide virtual programming and theater education classes.
These grants are in addition to a $5,000 grant in February from the Yates Community Endowment’s Emergency Relief Fund for operational support.
“We are thankful to Rochester Area Community Foundation and the various funding opportunities that they provide. Their continued support will allow us to realize the vision of the fully restored Historic Sampson Theatre and allow PYTCo to continue to provide live theatre productions and educational opportunities to the community,” says PYTCo President Dusty Baker.
The Yates Community Endowment is under the guidance of an all-volunteer, all-local advisory board and a geographic affiliate of Rochester Area Community Foundation. Since it’s beginning in 2011, the Endowment has distributed more than $600,000 in grants to nonprofit organizations serving Yates County. These grants have provided scholarships for Yates County youth to attend summer camp, helped with disaster relief efforts after the flood in 2014, assisted in the creation of the Hope Center and connected people in need with programs to help improve their lives. To learn more, go to www.racf.org/Yates.
PYTCo is a nonprofit organization that provides performing arts entertainment and education to the area. They are also working to revitalize the Historic Sampson Theatre on East Elm St. To learn more about PYTCo or the Historic Sampson Theatre or to donate to the organization, visit www.pytco.org