Dickinson College has made a $75,000 donation to the Save the Carlisle Theatre Campaign, according to a Feb. 20 article in The Sentinel.
The aim of the campaign is to raise enough funds to install new digital and sound equipment in the Carlisle Theatre, located on High Street. Built in 1939, the theater is currently equipped to host live entertainment events and screen films. However, the 35mm projector that the theater currently uses to screen films will soon become obsolete as the film industry moves towards digital technology.

“Film companies are requiring all movie theatres to go to digital if they want to continue to have films to show within the theatre,” says the website of the Save the Theatre campaign. “It is believed by talking to experts within the industry that this change must be completed by the end of 2013 in order to remain a theatre that can continue to show films.”

According to Christine Baksi, assistant director of media relations at Dickinson College, the decision to contribute to the campaign came from President William Durden ’71.

“The theater contributes to a thriving downtown. Itattracts crowds from college and from the Carlisle community, its success is important to nearby businesses and restaurants… We’re proud to be a leader in pledging support for the [campaign],” said Baksi. She explained that the money will come from “unrestricted reserves.”

The theater is considered a cornerstone of the downtown Carlisle community and plays an integral role in extracurricular life on campus. Academic departments and student organizations regularly sponsor film screenings at the theater, often subsidizing student ticket costs.

An itemized campaign expense sheet on the campaign’s website says that a digital projector is $150,000. The ultimate goal of the campaign is to raise $520,000 with the remaining funds being allocated towards mechanical and cosmetic upgrades. According to sources from the theater, Dickinson’s contribution came early in the campaign and has helped keep fundraising goals on track.

“The campaign just kicked on Feb. 9 and so far it is going very well, thanks in part to Dickinson’s contribution. We’re pretty much [on] track in the campaign and we still have a long way to go, but we’re confident that local people and former local people will support us in the campaign,” said Leslie Sterner, executive director of the Carlisle Theatre.

For more information about the Save the Carlisle Theatre campaign, visit its website at http://www.savethecarlisletheatre.org/