Donor Appreciation Event Recently Held
PALM SPRINGS, CA – May 24, 2023: The Palm Springs Plaza Theatre Foundation recently held a donor appreciation event at which they announced that the Foundation had been given permission to reveal the identity of a significant donor. In April of 2022, the Foundation board informed the Palm Springs City Council that it had received an incredibly generous donation of $2 million as a matching grant. At the time, the board was asked by those donors to withhold their identity until later in the fundraising campaign. At the donor appreciation event, also attended by California Lt. Governor Eleni Kounalakis, Foundation President J.R. Roberts publicly revealed for the first time the identity of Donna and Jon Croel, the couple previously known as “Donor Number Two.” The Croels are new residents of Palm Springs and were so captivated by the Plaza Theatre restoration project that they followed David Lee’s initial $5 million pledge with one of their own.
The appreciation event was held at PS Underground, a local entertainment venue which combines a rousing original live theatre show with a gourmet 4-course dinner. The theme of the appreciation event was “Plaza!” which was billed as an homage to the cultural impact of the Plaza Theatre throughout its star-studded history.
“We are humbled by the generosity of the Croels,” said Roberts. “They came to us early on in our fundraising process and helped dramatically propel our efforts to a new level. We respected their wish for privacy after the donation, but they are coming forward now to publicly show their confidence in the work the Foundation has done. We hope that their commitment continues to resonate with other donors who will step forward to help the Foundation reach its fundraising goal.”
“We were honored to join David Lee, the Plaza Theatre Foundation founders, and all the other people who have donated to this important preservation project,” said Jon Croel. “Donna and I continue to be impressed by the significance of this restoration project and the important role that the Plaza Theatre has served in the history of Palm Springs. We hope that our donation inspires others in the community to step forward and help the Foundation raise the remaining funds needed to restore this iconic building.”
Since it began its capital campaign to raise funds to restore the iconic Plaza Theatre, the Foundation has raised $14.5M towards their goal of $16M. With $2M left to raise, there are many ways in which the public may play a significant role in the Plaza Theatre restoration, including becoming a Founder, securing a Naming Opportunity for seats or other areas of the building, or making a general donation. For more information visit savetheplazatheatreps.org. The Palm Springs Plaza Theatre Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization and contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.