Patrons of the 2021 Newmarket International Festival of One Act Play helped raise $1,250 for the Newmarket Food Pantry.
Paul Bath, president of the Very Useful Theatre Company, visited the food pantry to deliver the funds and learn more about the work they do in the community.
"This is greatly appreciated and we thank you and the Very Useful Theatre Company," said Adrian Bain, executive director of the food pantry. "What we are doing now is we are feeding our neighbours in need so these funds will go to perishable products that we can get out."
Bath took a tour of the facility on Gorham Street to see how donations are sorted and check out the walk-in fridges and the brand new kitchen space that will be used for educational workshops in the future.
"It's quite the operation now and obviously volunteer driven," Bain said.
Giving back to the community is part of the mission of the Very Useful Theatre Company, which is a registered charity itself.
The company said they were happy to raise funds for the food pantry despite the limits on how many people could attend the festival last year.
Planning is now underway for the 2022 One Act Play Festival, which will take place Sept. 8 to 11, at Newmarket's Old Town Hall Theatre. They are hoping to have audiences watching live in person and over livestream.
Ther company is currently reviewing plays for the festival and an aspiring or accomplished playwrights are encouraged to enter their plays online before Jan. 31 to be considered.
