Community Foundation Awards COVID-19 Relief Grant To Wagon Wheel
WARSAW — The Kosciusko County Community Foundation has awarded the Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts a grant of $5,000 to help with the non-profit’s expenses due to the COVID-19 pandemic as a part of their COVID-19 Recovery Grant initiative.
The COVID-19 Recovery Grant initiative was created by KCCF to help support charitable organizations that serve residents of Kosciusko County and that are facing difficult circumstances caused by the virus. Grant dollars will help cover the cost of supplies and equipment needed to meet new safety and health guidelines and deferred or lost revenue due to fundraisers or income-generating event cancellations.
Jay Michaels, Wagon Wheel executive director, expressed appreciation to the Community Foundation for its sensitivity to the theater’s financial strain during a time when all performances have been cancelled.
“Our operating and personnel expenses continue,” Michaels said. “But with the significant loss of ticket sales this year, grant and individual’s support has become vital to reopening safely. Kosciusko County Community Foundation’s grant has enabled us to provide the required and recommended PPE equipment and safety measures to keep our staff, actors, students and patrons safe. We are grateful.”
Terry White, chair of the Wagon Wheel board, also expressed the board’s appreciation, noting that with only a few slimmed-down performances since last March, the non-profit is seeking any grant assistance that is available. The organization is also doing fundraising among board members, ticket holders, and friends of the theatre to ride out the period until ticket sales can resume at full speed, White said.