Christmas and the Holiday Season is always a time to reflect on gift giving and the many charitable organizations we would like to assist before year end. Partly, a tax concern but in many cases the good feelings about our fellow man cause us to examine where we can contribute and how we can make a difference. At the Capitol Centre we look towards community support in all of our perfomances and special events.

There are many ways to donate at the Capitol Centre and here’s how:

Become a Capitol Centre Friend: A donation of $20 or more and you begin your donor relationship with the Capitol Centre. Take for instance Helen Karmachow who became a Friend this year and takes plasure in what her donation supports. “I enjoy the concerts and plays and want to support North Bay’s Entertainment Centre,” she says. 

Become a Stage Door Member: A membership fee of $75 allows you to travel a little further down that donor road but you reap the benefits with priority notice of events, priority seating on shows and in some cases a “Stage Door” discount. As someone who already attends the shows, joining the Club allows gives you so much more. “We just loved the Jim Witter performance espeically all the Simon and Garfunkel songs,” says five year Stage Door members Doug and Sandra Hay. “He was so interactive with the audience encouraging singalongs. He was such a natural entertainer with a great voice.” As Stage Door members they chose the prime location of Row P sitting that half-row above the rest of the orchestra which so many members choose.

Become a Galaxy Circle Member: Become a VIP member of the Capitol Centre with recogniton levels beginning at $250. Peg & Bryon have been Club members long before we installed our new ticketing system and have many memories of the artists they’ve met and socialized with along the way. “Andrea Martin was our absolute favourite,” says Galaxy Circle veterans Peg and Bryon Bonell. She was extremely approachable and spent so much time with everyone in the room.”

 Join the likes of Helen, Doug, Sandra, Peg and Brian. Show your supprt for the Arts Sector of this community.  Call the Box Office at (705) 474-4747 and one of our Box Office Sales Representatives will be on duty to assist you or if you would rather, log onto www.capitolcentre.org and on the left side of the front page you will see an icon that says "donate now".  Click on that and it will lead you to a secure area of the website where you can sign up for whatever level you would like. 

Purchase your gift cards for all your family and friends. Right now when you purchase $100 n gift cards you receive a $20 gift certificate from Ivan’s Restaurant. Call (705) 474-4747 or go online to www.capitolcentre.org. 

For some the countdown to Halloween means ghosts and goblins are gaining speed and that scary night is almost upon us but for others, especially those working or volunteering for the upcoming Capitol Centre Wine Gala, it means one week to go until the “Party of the Year” unfolds with attendees exchanging their pirate costumes for “After 5” finery.

Why such emphasis on this particular event? It’s a simple question with a complex response as this major fundraiser is the heart and soul of the Capitol Centre and net proceeds keep this operation viable and the quality programming in place. As a NFP organization, it is a day by day challenge to generate sufficient revenue to cover the expenses. Dollars generated on one performance may cover the next. That is the nature of arts and culture and especially in the economic climate that we are all facing. NFP organizations such as the Capitol Centre rely heavily on ticket sales in addition to donations, government grants, sponsorships and foundation money. It is an uphill battle in a community our size especially when the pot is only so big and there are so many worthwhile causes. Like other NFP organizations, the Capitol Centre continually generates many different ideas that generate revenue through attendance meanwhile giving people a reason to attend and a great lot of fun to be had. The Wine Gala is a year in the making and Rik Emmett was booked early in the spring to ensure North Bay would be one of his stops. Locally, we lined up The Skinny Band, Cliff Gervais and the NBSO Trio consisting of Janet Zimbalatti, Jordan Wyshniowsky and Don Clysdale to ensure a variety of musical tastes were captured. Our committee comprised of Wine Gala Volunteers and Staff has been soliciting donations from many businesses and sparing no calls to area restaurants to ensure everyone is well fed with local delicacies. It is a labour of love to provide for all that attend and to ensure everyone has the time of their life meanwhile realizing that the Wine Gala is a direct response to the need for fundraising in this community to keep arts and culture alive and on our radars for generations to come. New this year is the online auction so check out the website and bid from your comfy couch. The “F” word is not an easy one with so many “Fundraising” ventures out there. If not celebrating local talent at the Wine Gala we are providing gaming opportunities for Bingo lovers in North Bay. The Capitol Centre operates its bi- weekly Thursday night bingo at Bingo Country on Airport. It’s a minimum commitment of 4 hours every 6 weeks and it goes so far in generating operating funds to keep programming on track. Working on a Bingo team is a social affair and bingo teams chat it up while tackling tasks that keep the Capitol Centre in funds that can support education or other special projects. It’s a minimum commitment with maximum coverage. We are in need of a few new team members and ask that you give serious consideration to this nominal ask. You can help bring great programs to North Bay by your donation of time.

This Sunday, Oct. 30, the Reel Big Show at 7:30 p.m. stars Sarah Jessica Parker in – “I Don’t Know How She Does it?” Movies are $6.00. Call the Box Office for movie tickets or your ticket to the “Party of the Year”. Call (705) 474-4747. 

Dee Adrian

General Manager

dadrian@capitolcentre.org