September 28, 2018
A local industry with international recognition has lent its support to restore an iconic downtown theatre in rural America. Friday afternoon, Hoosier Racing Tire President John DeSalle announced the company’s investment of $50,000 to the REES Theatre Project. The Plymouth manufacturer is matching a gift made by the Plymouth Industrial Development Corporation (PIDCO) earlier this summer. Both organizations donated at the leadership matching gift level which will provide significant capital investment to the project.
These investments by local businesses and organizations come at an ideal time, as the REES Theatre Project is working to meet an October 31st deadline for a Regional Cities Initiative matching grant of $300,000. Successful fundraising this year will allow interior renovation to begin quickly and a grand reopening to take place as early as the first quarter of 2020.
Since the closing of the iconic REES Theatre in 2009 after a 69-year run, the community of Plymouth has been imagining the possibilities for its return to the vigor of its grand opening night on April 12, 1940 which featured Gone with the Wind. In December 2016, a Plymouth couple, encouraged by the presentation of 8th grade students from Lincoln Junior High and the many placemaking efforts occurring in the downtown area, decided it was time to take some action. Their $100,000 gift to the Wythougan Valley Preservation Council allowed for the theatre to be purchased from private owners and placed in a 501 (c)3 not-for-profit now known as The REES Theatre Inc.
Lead by an original committee of 12 members, the restoration effort has been supported by the City of Plymouth, Discover Plymouth, Plymouth Redevelopment Commission, Marshall County Economic Development Corporation, Plymouth Economic Development Corp., PIDCO, Plymouth Chamber, Marshall County Tourism Bureau, Marshall County Crossroads Museum & Historical Society, and the Marshall County Community Foundation. Endorsements have come from St. Joseph Regional Medical Center; LifePlex; Ancilla College; Culver Academies; and Plymouth, Triton, LaVille, and John Glenn Community Schools.
Marshall County Crossroads Museum & Historical Society, and the Marshall County Community Foundation. Endorsements have come from St. Joseph Regional Medical Center; LifePlex; Ancilla College; Culver Academies; and Plymouth, Triton, LaVille, and John Glenn Community Schools.