The Depot Theatre in Westport, NY has been awarded several grants in support of facility and technology improvements.

The Charles R. Wood Foundation has awarded the Depot a grant of $16,000, and the J.M. McDonald Foundation awarded a grant of $5,000 toward the Depot Theatre Historic Property Exterior Painting Project.

This grant funding will be used toward painting the exterior of the historic Depot Theatre train station, which is owned by the Town of Westport and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Depot Theatre building is not only home to the Adirondacks’ only professional Equity theatre, but it serves as an information hub for travelers and residents, and a working train station that, in non-pandemic times, welcomes Amtrak passengers traveling to and from the Lake Champlain and High Peaks regions year round.

”We’re grateful to the Depot Theatre for being dedicated stewards and securing funding for this iconic structure,” said Ike Tyler, Town of Westport Supervisor. “It is important that we maintain and preserve this vital facility, which has such a direct cultural and economic impact on the community and greater Adirondack region.”

The Depot was also awarded a grant of $2,000 for the Depot Theatre’s Virtual Streaming Technology Initiative from the Adirondack Foundation’s Special and Urgent Needs Fund.

The Adirondack Foundation grant funding will be used toward the purchase of vital, updated camera equipment for archiving main stage performances and producing educational resources for the Depot Theatre Academy outreach and education program.

“Preservation and improvement of the train station and updated technological equipment are both integral parts of the theatre’s strategic master facilities and technology plan,” said Kim Rielly, Depot Theatre Executive Director. “We are grateful to these Foundations for their vital support of these initiatives.”

The Depot Theatre’s 2021 main stage season begins on July 1. Tickets and more information about the organization are available online at www.DepotTheatre.org.

About Charles R. Wood Foundation
The Charles R. Wood Foundation was founded in 1978 with its mission to provide assistance to areas of special need in the Lake George Region and surrounding areas. Not-for-profit organizations with an emphasis on programs for children, healthcare and the arts are the beneficiaries of Mr. Wood’s generosity. A Board of Trustees oversees the Foundation with a goal to preserve the mission established by Charles R. Wood. charlesrwoodfoundation.com

About J.M. McDonald Foundation
In the spring of 1952, J.M. McDonald established the J.M. McDonald Foundation, Inc. This is a trust whose income is to be used as donations to deserving charities. Primary interests of the Foundation are education, humanities, health, and a variety of social and human services. As of the year 2014, 62 years after its inception, the J.M. McDonald Foundation, Inc. has grown many times over and is active in awarding grants primarily in upstate New York. Thanks to the foresight of J.M. McDonald, Sr., the Foundation will continue the charitable example he modeled years ago. jmmcdonaldfoundation.org

About Adirondack Foundation
Support for this work is from Adirondack Foundation – the community foundation serving the Adirondack Region working to enhance the lives of the people in the Adirondacks through philanthropy. Adirondack Foundation’s Special and Urgent Needs Fund (SUN) is a responsive granting resource that can be deployed to assist Adirondack communities and nonprofits during times of crisis. It can also be deployed to help organizations leverage additional resources to help them rise to the next level, deepen partnerships, or take advantage of extraordinary opportunities or trainings that fall outside of your budget and would otherwise be out of reach.To learn more, visit adirondackfoundation.org.