WARSAW, Ind. (March 26, 2012) – The Wagon Wheel Theatre has long been a vital part of the Warsaw community. After 56 years as a for‐profit company, the Wagon Wheel, as of January 1, 2012, is now a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. It is pursuing a campaign seeking operational funding.
“We formed a fantastic Board of Directors back in August and began our fundraising drive,” says Wagon Wheel Theatre Director of Operations, Will Dawson. “Our customer base recognized the value of supporting our theater, not just by buying tickets, but also by opening their checkbooks.” Wagon Wheel seeks to supplement the support from the private sector to meet the overall needs of the organization. “We needed someone to step up and hit a home run. OrthoWorx did just that,” says Dawson.
Enter OrthoWorx, a strategically focused initiative that works collaboratively with the orthopedic industry and other stakeholders to build upon the community’s strengths to ensure the Warsaw area remains The Orthopedic Capital of the World. ™ OrthoWorx does this through focusing on six strategic initiatives, including Community Enhancement.
Recognizing the Wagon Wheel’s cultural value to the community and surrounding areas, OrthoWorx agreed to provide $50,000 for operational expenses to enable certain programs. “We are pleased to enter into this partnership to support the Wagon Wheel Theatre, particularly for its efforts to expand community and youth theater programming,” says David Floyd, OrthoWorx Chief Executive Officer. “Our recent community attributes study ranked cultural and educational enrichment opportunities as critical to the vitality of Warsaw and the surrounding region. We see our partnership with the Wagon Wheel as an essential to a vibrant arts environment.”
One of those new programs made its debut in February this year. Wagon Wheel Jr. opened with “Tiny Thumbelina.” “The Rockin’ Tale of Snow White” takes the stage April 21 and 22, 2012. This program gives more students in our community and the region the opportunity to experience theatrical arts, from casting to closing curtain, in a professional learning environment.
“Studies show an education rich in the arts contributes to higher test scores and GPAs,” says Dawson. “We simply couldn’t offer this unique programming without local support. We are thankful for OrthoWorx and the support of our community. This theater has meant so much to so many people throughout the years. We want to educate and inspire the next generation. Today, we have taken a huge step forward.”
About Wagon Wheel Theatre
The Wagon Wheel Theatre has been the artistic leader in the Warsaw community nearly sixty years staging some of the best theatrical productions off-Broadway. By supporting core values of excellence, community and leadership, The Wagon Wheel strives to provide Northern Indiana with an incomparable cultural organization that will make an essential contribution to the quality of life in our community and beyond.
About OrthoWorx
Formed in 2009 with initial funding from Lilly Endowment, OrthoWorx is a community-based initiative that works strategically and collaboratively with the orthopedic industry and other stakeholders to ensure that the Warsaw region continues to reap the social and economic benefits that derive from its position as The Orthopedic Capital of the World.™
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