Page 2 - June 2021 Donor Newsletter
P. 2
FROM BRANDON’S DESK
FROM BRANDON’S DESK
MIGHTY VOLUNTEERS
We have a saying here at the Egyptian we had NO programming and no opportunities
Theatre – that we are small, but mighty! It is my for volunteers to help us out. We joke internally
belief that there was never a truer saying. On that the one upside to the pandemic and being
average, the Egyptian Theatre welcomes well over shut down, was our ability to finish our expansion
40,000 patrons through our doors each year, but project. And that is where we were able to call
we do not want you to think that the staff handles upon our volunteers.
it alone. As the number of events we bring in from
year to year increases, the number of patrons we When we needed it, volunteers were there to help
welcome increases, which in turn creates a need us remove the old carpet, pack up concessions,
for more volunteers. As a staff of only four full- and even help us clean the new spaces as we
time and two part-time, we undoubtedly have started moving into them. All our volunteers are
a need for volunteers, otherwise, we could not true rock stars and will handle anything that is
program at the capacity that we do. thrown their way. From helping us package 500
small bags of popcorn to give away at the DeKalb
As the Event Services Director and Volunteer Chamber’s Spring Fest, to helping us arrange and
Coordinator for the Egyptian, I find myself hang archives throughout the theatre, volunteers
repeating it, but we truly mean it when we say are up for the challenge.
we could not do what we do here without the
unending support we receive from our 75+ Such a large part of my job is working with
volunteers. Our volunteers help the Egyptian to volunteers. When that component fell off
fulfill its mission by helping us share and protect in March 2020, it really opened my eyes to
the historical integrity of the theatre as a regional the impact volunteers not only have on our
arts center for entertainment and community organization, but me personally. I missed our
involvement. volunteers over the last 16 months, but am
ecstatic to finally be to a point where we are
When you attend an event, many times, the first seeing more and more of them.
people you are interacting with are volunteers –
people donating their time to help us bring joy to President Barack Obama once said, “we
other’s lives. We cannot thank these individuals celebrate the selfless individuals around our
enough. From our ticket takers, to our ushers, to country who channel their civic virtues through
private events, to concessions help when needed, volunteerism… devoted to a cause bigger than
our volunteers help us more than they realize. As themselves…. Volunteers help drive our country’s
staff, we constantly remind our volunteers that progress, and day in and day out, they make
while a few of us have the privilege of working for extraordinary sacrifices to expand promise
the nonprofit organization, we all have the great and possibility.” In this case, the cause that our
honor of being stewards of the Egyptian at this volunteers are devoted to, is the betterment and
point in history. long-term survival of the Egyptian Theatre.
Through their volunteerism here at the Egyptian,
We are all too familiar with March 2020 at this they are in fact making extraordinary sacrifices
point and the profound impact it had on venues and are helping us to expand promise and
such as the Egyptian Theatre and all throughout possibility to patrons in the community that get to
the rest of the world. Information was published experience the theatre for the first time.
in our March 2021 newsletter, which included the There are no words that could accurately describe
statistic that 110 events were impacted, meaning our gratitude and thanks we feel toward our
