The formerly on-again off-again historic Crump Theatre fundraiser scheduled and rescheduled since last year is now on for Oct. 30 — the venerated venue’s 132nd birthday. And the event just sold out.
The period fundraiser “Tap Into the ‘20s” with the Tony Stewart Foundation will begin with a happy hour at 6 p.m. at The Commons and last until 11 p.m., according to organizers. The gathering is expected to include a deejay and slightly more than 300 attendees.
Masks will be required when people are not eating or drinking, according to organizers.
Jessica Schnepp is volunteer lead project coordinator at the Crump, an art deco facility that has been the subject of preserving or saving for nearly 20 years.
This event will include a live auction, led by Mike Mensendiek, that will be live-streamed to include online viewers who can bid on items. ZwanzigZ Pizza is coordinating the bar that will include its craft beers and more.
Organizers expect that the event will include a video clip of Stewart welcoming people to the fundraiser, since his schedule does not allow him to attend in person.
Strong support for a Crump resurgence — the umpteenth such movement just in the past 20 years alone — has been building the past couple of years. The latest push has been fueled partly by the structure making Indiana Landmarks 10 Most Endangered structures list in 2019. The building has been closed since 2014.
The fundraiser also will benefit The Tony Stewart Foundation whose mission is to provide grant funding to qualified organizations serving children who are critically ill or physically disabled, animals at-risk or endangered, and drivers injured in the sport of motor racing.
Schnepp said that, despite all the delays related to the event because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the current date seems best now because it allows for a larger crowd than before.
“The timing is much better,” she said.
Plus, the Crump webstore is open with a range of merchandise from hoodies to tumblers, with $10 from every sale going to a Crump fund for repairs. Eventually, that will include an estimated $50,000 needed for improvements such as a new roof.
