Fundraisers Set To Support Royal Theater Renovations

ST. PETERSBURG, FL – From 1948 to 1966, the Royal Theater was one of two movie theaters that served the black community in St. Petersburg during the era of segregation.

The historic building located at 1011 22nd St. S. continues to support the community by playing host to the Royal Theater Boys & Girls Club. Now the community has a chance to give back to the building that has touched the lives of so many St. Petersburg residents over the years.

The Leadership St. Pete Class of 2017 will host three events over the next month to help renovate the Royal Theater. In February, the Leadership St. Pete selected the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Suncoast as the beneficiary of this year’s class project.

Through Capital improvements, Leadership St. Pete plans to help restore the Royal Theater by refurbishing program spaces to increase capacity to offer additional arts programming for Midtown children. The Royal Theater Boys & Girls Club focuses on arts programming because of its building’s historic tie-in with the arts.

Planned improvements for the facility include:

• Major electrical upgrades to interior and exterior lighting
• Refreshed curb appeal
• Marquee sign restoration
• Paint for the entire exterior and interior
• New interior furniture and storage

Leadership St. Pete has set a goal of raising $55,000 for the project. In addition to seeking corporate sponsorships, cash and in-kind donations, LSP is hosting two fundraisers over the next 10 days:

• Rococo Steak, 655 Second Ave. S., will host A Royal Night of Illumination on Thursday, April 20 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. The event will feature cocktails, appetizers, a silent auction and an art gallery featuring works from the Boys & Girls Club. Tickets are $35 in advance and $40 at the door.
• The St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club, 559 Mirror Lake Drive N., will host the Royal Shuffle on Sunday, April 30 from 1 to 3 p.m. This event will feature child-friendly activity stations form Great Explorations Children’s Museum and Girl Scouts of West Central Florida. Adult tickets are $20 and include beer. Children 12 and younger are admitted free with the purchase of an adult ticket.

Tickets to both events can be purchased at www.stpete.com/royal.

The LSP project will culminate in a Community Build Day on Saturday, May 20. Volunteers will be invited to join the LSP class to renovate the Royal Theater. Two work days will be held in advance to prepare for the event.

To support the project financially, tax-deductible funds can be sent to Brittany Walsh, The St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce, 100 Second Ave. N., Suite 150, St. Petersburg, FL 33701. Check can be made to LSP Project. Donations can also be made at www.sptpete.com/royal.

For in-kind contributions or corporate donation inquires, e-mail Ashley Ryneska, the fundraising chair for the LSP 2017, at aryneska@stpeteymca.org.

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