Thanks to feedback and support from you, our beloved patrons, we have a plan to cool the theater!
We are thankful for your support this year and every year! In 2024, we began surveying our audiences and learned how important the Palace Theater is to our community. You told us you appreciate our great events and thoughtful programming, you love our friendly and welcoming staff…and, that despite our new air conditioning working as hard as it can, you also said that it is HOT in the theater. We hear you and we are working on it: we have a Fan Plan and we need your help!
What is the Fan Plan?
The Fan Plan is to install two industrial energy-efficient, ultra-quiet ceiling fans in the auditorium. Equivalent to the cooling area of 102 regular-sized ceiling fans, they will assist our existing air conditioning system and keep air circulating through full house crowds. This is a manageable plan that will provide immediate relief to our valued patrons.
Our goal is to raise $10,000 in community funds to match a $20,000 grant we have already received from the Atherton Family Foundation. This will cover the cost of purchasing and installing two industrial ceiling fans in the theater. We need your support to make the Fan Plan a reality!
What about the air conditioning?
Because of its age, each renovation to the 100 year old Palace Theater comes with its own unique set of challenges. In 2022, after years of fundraising and overcoming obstacles, we installed and activated air-conditioning in the theater, accomplishing phase one of a three-phase plan to cool the theater. While the difference is notable at shows with modest audience sizes, the auditorium remains uncomfortably hot for larger events.
Inclusive of requests for bids, engineering plans, building modifications, equipment and installation, phase two is projected to cost upwards of $500,000 and take at least five years to complete. Our audiences don’t have time to wait. Installing fans to move the air in the auditorium is the most cost-efficient way to improve the quality and experience of events at the Palace right now. Help us give our patrons what they need!
Why do we need your help?
The Fan Plan is already two-thirds funded through generous support from the Atherton Family Foundation. We are asking for your help to close the gap because community donations are essential to our survival as a 501(c)(3) non-profit. Your support proves to grantors like Atherton that funding projects at the Palace Theater is important to our community. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation today for the comfort of tomorrow. Help us hit our fundraising goal before the end of this year, and this project will be completed within the first quarter of 2025!
Checks made out to Friends of the Palace Theater may be mailed to 38 Haili St Hilo, HI 96720, or you may click the button below to make an online donation. If you are not able to offer financial support at this time, please consider appealing to your contacts by sharing this blog, sharing our social media posts, or just talking story about how much you love the Palace Theater!
Mahalo for your continuous support. As we head into our centennial year, it is of the utmost importance that we continue to maintain this historic theater that serves so many members of our community.
We’ll see you at the Palace!
Aloha,
Phillips Payson
Executive Director
