Saved!!

Photo by Peter Michaud

This is the sort-of story that belongs in the movies! The movie theater in my home town, built in 1915, was closed and its future was looking bleak... until a group of citizens and a willing buyer stepped up a campaign to save the old place with its huge heavy curtains and balcony seating and revive it back to life as a performance and movie house. Marc Murai signed an agreement on April 23rd with the current owner and pledged that he would come up with $10,000 by May 6th as a good faith deposit. As of May 5th, he was still several thousand dollars shy of what was needed. And so word spread like wildfire over the internet... especially through Facebook... appealing to all of us with childhood memories of movies and popcorn at the IOKA to please, please, please make a financial contribution. We had until 7pm on May 6th. Could it be done?

The answer: Yes, it can! In something akin to Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life" when all of Bedford Falls emptied its pockets to save George Bailey... people from across the country, and around the world, made donations to save the IOKA. By 8pm on Wednesday... the lights were back on on the marquee... and the final take was more than $10,500!

Well done, everybody!!