ATLANTA – The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation is teaming up with the Georgia Theatre to raise money to rebuild the historic structure, which was gutted in a June 19 fire.
“Fans and artists from all over the world have reached out, offering to help us save this truly magical and historic building,” Georgia Theatre owner Wilmot Greene said in a news release. “Our partnership with the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation will make it possible for us to revive the Georgia Theatre in a manner that will ensure its storied legacy. Athens just wouldn’t be the same without it.”
The theater was built in the 1890s, serving as a YMCA. In the 1930s, the building was converted into a movie theater, and it began its run as a music venue in 1978. The Police, the Dave Matthews Band, Widespread Panic, R.E.M. and the B-52s are among the acts that have performed at the Georgia Theater.
The Georgia Trust, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, set up the Georgia Theatre Rehabilitation Fund, and any donations The Georgia Trust receives are tax-deductible. In addition, the donations “will be placed in a restricted account to be used solely for the purposes of rebuilding the theater,” the organization said in a news release.
“The Georgia Trust is pleased to act as a fiscal agent to accept donations for the rehabilitation of the Georgia Theatre,” Mark C. McDonald, president and CEO of the Trust, said in a news release. “Donations can be made to The Georgia Trust, and we will insure that the funds are spent solely for the purpose of rehabilitating this historic building in downtown Athens.”
For more information about the Georgia Theater Rehabilitation Fund, contact Kate Ryan, programs manager for the Trust, at (404) 885-7817 or kryan@georgiatrust.org.
Donations to the Georgia Theater Rehabilitation Fund can be sent to The Georgia Trust at: The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, Georgia Theatre Rehabilitation Fund, Attn: Kate Ryan, 1516 Peachtree St., NW, Atlanta, GA 30309.
