Last year, the Players got some rather bad news. Our former Rehearsal Hall location on Beach Blvd., then owned by the City of Gulfport, was to be sold!
We had co-shared this building with a City office for many years.
What this meant for us was that all the years we enjoyed with very reasonable rent were about to end and we needed to find a place suitable for our meetings, auditons, and rehearsals PRONTO! The City of Gulfport offered us the use of a building called Scout Hall, to co-use with the Scouts. In despiration, we took them up on the offer, but, after a very short time there, we realized that we could not make this building work for us at all.
The Players started looking around the Gulfport area for a building with plenty of parking and lots of interior space, that we could rent or lease for our needs. Our President, Eileen Navarro, came across the unoccupied Knights of Columbus building, just off 49th Street and 17th Avenue South. A resolution was proposed and adopted by the Board to lease this building, with an option to buy at a future date.
This building has met, and even exceded, our expectations. In a word, it has been perfect for us! Lots of available parking, plently of room, very high ceilings, complete with a commercial kitchen, and even a loft! We have even performed smaller fund-raising productions there.
We then decided to attempt to do what had only been a dream for many years-
to actually buy our own building! But, in order to buy anything, you need money.
The Players started a Building Fund Drive and later, our Flight of Angels, to come up with enough money to make an offer on the building.
After many months, a lot of appeals, and a lot of very generous people, we have done just that. We made the owners an offer of $270,000 for the building, they accepted, and we closed on August 16, 2004.
Money is still needed, and will be needed for some years to come. We still have to pay the mortgage, all the monthly bills, insurance, etc. from now on out. We hope, with the continued help of "Angels" like the ones listed below, that we can pay off this building entirely in 5 years.
We are now a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization, and, as such, your donations are fully tax-deductible! Our tax number is IRS #59-2135038. Please send all donations, no matter how small or large, to our NEW address at:
Gulfport Community Players
4919 - 17th Avenue South
Gulfport, Florida 33707
We, and the community, thank you from the bottoms of our hearts!
