MUSIC IN PLYMOUTH ENDOWMENT FUND CASE STATEMENT
MUSIC IN PLYMOUTH
Music in Plymouth has been the premiere summer event in Plymouth since its inception 35 years ago. From the first years, when the event was held on vacant land within the Minneapolis Industrial Park to today’s state of the art Hilde Performance Center in Plymouth Creek Park, Music in Plymouth has grown with our community and helped Plymouth develop a rich sense of identity and community pride.
The mission of Music in Plymouth, featuring the Minnesota Orchestra, is to bring the community together for an evening of high quality entertainment designed to enrich the lives of our diverse citizenry. Over the years, this annual signature event has expanded to include a broad range of family-focused entertainment, including a spectacular fireworks display choreographed to music. The event is now eagerly anticipated each year by more than 15,000 people from Plymouth and surrounding communities.
SERVING THE COMMUNITY
The seeds for Music in Plymouth were planted in 1972 when Mayor Al Hide, Jr., and several community leaders, including Curtis L. Carlson, recognized the importance of bringing a fast-growing community together and establishing a unique identity. They established the Plymouth Civic League (PCL) to provide leadership and continuity for this grassroots endeavor.
The PCL’s volunteer Board of Directors is composed of citizens and business people whose primary objective is to promote and carry forward the mission of Music in Plymouth. PCL board members raise all the funds necessary to produce this annual event in cooperation and partnership with the City of Plymouth. Plymouth is widely considered to be one of the most desirable communities in the Twin Cities metro area in which to live – Music in Plymouth contributes to that reputation.
PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE
As Music in Plymouth has grown, both in scope and attendance, so too has the cost of presenting the event. While the PCL has, and will continue to, develop long-range corporate and community financial support, ensuring broad-based commitment, it also recognizes the need to develop a stronger financial base to maintain the high quality of the event far into the future.
Cultural institutions that thrive – not merely exist – have an adequate endowment. Thus, the Plymouth Civic League Board of Directors and other Music in Plymouth supporters believe it is time to responsibly place Music in Plymouth on a more secure financial footing as are so many other cultural institutions.
So that we may secure Music in Plymouth for the enrichment and enjoyment of future generations, we are embarking on an endowment campaign to raise $1,000,000. In doing so, our primary goals are:
- To provide for the continuation and expansion of the traditional free family entertainment that has been the hallmark of Music in Plymouth since its inception in 1972.
- To ensure that the Plymouth Civic League may continue to bring the Minnesota Orchestra and other guest artists to Music in Plymouth at the Hilde Performance Center.
- To provide a financial safety net against a period where we experience an economic downturn.
- To assist the City of Plymouth with possible future capital expenditures related to the Hilde Performance Center.
For more information, contact:
John Babcock, Endowment Chairman
johnb@satellitco.com
763 553 1900
MUSIC IN PLYMOUTH ENDOWMENT FUND BOARD OF TRUSTEES
John Babcock, Chair
Roger Janikowski, Treasurer
Kimbra Jossart
Richard Marshall
Mele Willis
Jim Willis
Jayne Hilde, Honorary Trustee
Jim Ramstead, Honorary Trustee