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PHOTO: Augusta’s Colonial Theater. (Maureen Milliken photo)
AUGUSTA — Through its new KSB Supports Local Theaters program, Kennebec Savings Bank recently awarded $12,000 COVID-19 relief grants to five community theaters throughout its service area.
The awards were made after the bank was awarded a competitive grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston’s 2020 Jobs for New England Recovery Grant program. Theaters receiving the funding include the Theater at Monmouth, in Monmouth; Colonial Theater, in Augusta; Johnson Hall, in Gardiner; Waterville Opera House, in Waterville; Maine State Music Theatre, in Brunswick.
“Community theaters were the first to close, and will likely be the last to completely reopen,” said Andrew Silsby, president and CEO of Kennebec Saving Bank. “Our community theaters are vital to our local economies and bring diverse cultural experiences to our rural communities. The people running them are our friends and neighbors. We are pleased to be in a position to support them when they need it most.”
The coronavirus has had a devastating impact on theaters throughout Maine and the rest of the country. In a recent study conducted by Americans for the Arts, 59% of arts organizations have remained closed since the pandemic began. At least ten percent believe they will not survive the pandemic, which equates to a potential loss of 12,000 organizations nationwide.
“We’re incredibly grateful for the generosity Kennebec Savings Bank continues to show the Waterville Opera House,” said Tamsen Brooke Warner, the Waterville Opera House’s executive director. “This year has brought intense hardship for performing arts venues, artists, and entertainment professionals worldwide. Thanks to the support from Kennebec Savings Bank and the kindness of our patrons, donors, and sponsors, we will survive the COVID-19 pandemic and continue bringing great music and theatre to Central Maine.”
Kennebec Savings Bank has launched several initiatives to support nonprofits from across sectors during the pandemic. This has including $60,000 in relief funds through its Catalyst Grant program, seed grants for relief funds to two local United Way organizations, and over $40,000 to local food pantries. Most recently, the bank donated $40,000 in relief funds to additional nonprofits that have been hard hit by the pandemic, including the Maine Children’s Home for Little Wanderers, in Waterville; Kennebec Valley YMCA, in Augusta; The Boys and Girls Clubs of Kennebec Valley, in Gardiner; and Spectrum Generations, of Augusta.
Kennebec Savings Bank hasoffices in Augusta, Farmingdale, Freeport, Waterville and Winthrop, as well as KSB Anytime 24-hour electronic banking centers in Augusta, Farmingdale, Freeport and Manchester.
