Park Ridge Civic Orchestra seeking help to survive

Following the loss of its longtime home at the Pickwick Theatre and the more recent loss of its major donor, the Park Ridge Civic Orchestra is seeking new sources of financial support to survive beyond its current 26th season.

The orchestra already canceled the final performances of the current season on Feb. 28 and March 1, but could reschedule for later dates if help arrives in time.

"If we could go out on a high note, we'd be very proud," PRCO board President Kristine Walczak said.

Hope remains that new sources of support will keep the nonprofit organization alive through this and many more years, she added.

Just ahead of the orchestra's 25th season in 2018, its board learned that due to the installation of a larger screen at the Pickwick Theatre, the stage where musicians performed no longer existed.

The four concerts of that 25th season were promoted as being "on the road" at Maine South and Maine East high schools, but ticket sales immediately experienced a decline, Walczak said.

The orchestra's major donor of the past five years recently withdrew its significant contributions to the nonprofit for reasons that remain unclear, Walczak added. One of the donor's stipulations was that performances had to be in Park Ridge, though it was recognized that the high schools did not have the same ambience as the Pickwick.

With that stipulation now removed, the orchestra is weighing options to regularly perform in nearby communities, but no obvious solution has yet appeared, Walczak said.

Even if the nearby Des Plaines Theatre were an option, its current renovations would prevent that from happening for quite a while yet, she said.

None of the immediately surrounding communities have an orchestra and its potential audience could just as easily come from those, Walczak added, even though the organization was started 26 years ago by a couple in Park Ridge.

Ticketholders for the now canceled performances are being offered a choice between a refund or a donation to help pay off remaining costs, Walczak said.

Anyone willing and able to donate to the orchestra is asked to visit its website at parkridgecivicorchestra.org or contact Executive Director Pam Benitez at (847) 692-7726.