Facing COVID and broken projector, this NC theater shut down. Then donations poured in
A North Carolina theater was struggling to stay afloat during the coronavirus pandemic.
Then a broken projector dealt another blow.
Facing thousands of dollars in repair costs, the century-old Pioneer Theatre in Manteo announced it was temporarily shutting its doors.
“Unfortunately it seems to be a major issue that will take some time and about $10,000 to fix,” the business wrote Saturday in a Facebook post.
But people weren’t going to let the historic movie theater close for long. Soon, the Pioneer Theatre hesitantly started an online fundraiser at the urging of its supporters.
Through GoFundMe, the business raised more than $15,000 as of Tuesday morning. The entertainment venue said the results of the “grassroots effort” left it feeling “awestruck.”
“It is quite an experience to feel so so much love and appreciation for a business that means so much to you,” a movie theater representative wrote Monday on Facebook. “I love each and every one of you, and put forth a very humble and sincere thank you.”
The business said it now plans to buy the equipment needed to open back up..
The family that runs Pioneer Theatre has provided entertainment to people on Roanoke Island since 1918, according to its Facebook page. The area is across the Roanoke Sound from the Outer Banks tourist destination of Nags Head.
When coronavirus-related shutdowns kept its doors closed, the theater made money by selling popcorn, the Outer Banks Voice reported. The venue later reopened with reduced capacity.
“We are treading water,” owner Buddy Creef told the news outlet in a December report.
Pioneer Theatre isn’t the first North Carolina business to have trouble making ends meet during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Entertainment centers, salons and restaurants were among the businesses forced to close in March 2020 to help stop the spread of the virus. While some businesses are running again under new restrictions, others didn’t survive, The Charlotte Observer reported.
This story was originally published February 2, 2021 at 10:05 AM with the headline "Facing COVID and broken projector, this NC theater shut down. Then donations poured in."
