Taproot Theatre said it saw an outpouring of community support after copper wire thieves caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage to its HVAC system.
SEATTLE — Taproot Theatre in Seattle’s Greenwood neighborhood has exceeded its fundraising goal and completed repairs to its HVAC system after vandals stripped it for copper wire.
The theater announced Monday it raised $422,200.57 from 1,280 individual donors, going above its $400,000 goal. Taproot had set a June 1 deadline for the fundraising campaign.
“We have been so deeply moved by the outpouring of support from our community, friends, and neighbors in response to this unexpected and costly need,” Producing Artistic Director Karen Lund said in a statement.
Thieves stripped copper from two of Taproot’s three air conditioners at the end of April, leaving the theater with expensive repairs and the need to overhaul its HVAC system. Without a working cooling system, indoor temperatures could become unsafe this summer, and the theater would have been forced to shut down for summer programming, such as performances and youth acting camps.
To help pay for the repairs, Taproot launching a fundraising campaign April 27.
Taproot also worked with the city’s Office of Construction and Permitting to move the HVAC project forward earlier than anticipated.
Construction began May 14. New HVAC units were delivered May 18, and the HVAC system was functional May 21.
Cages were installed around the rooftop AC units to prevent future vandalism. Taproot will also take advantage of Seattle’s Back to Business program to improve building security measures to prevent property damage.
A run of “Barefoot in the Park” was underway during the construction, and Taproot said it didn’t have to cancel any performances while the work was underway.
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