Westchester's Capitol Theatre pays back pandemic generosity with free tickets for volunteers
PORT CHESTER, N.Y. -- It was the generosity of the music community in Westchester County that helped a popular venue stay alive during the COVID pandemic.
A year later, it's still returning that favor by rallying volunteers to help others.
It's a local venue, booking bands known around the world -- from Portugal. The Man to Ben Folds, Counting Crows, Steely Dan and even the Grateful Dead back in the day.
So many major performers have made their way to Port Chester's Capitol Theatre in it's almost 100-year history. So it's no surprise fans go out of their way to get tickets.
"Some shows are a lot more popular than others," said Tyler LaRocca, marketing manager of the theater.
The Capitol Theatre seats 1,500, and that doesn't include their small stage, which LaRocca calls their "venue within the venue."
But he says the venue is more than just a place for listening to great music.
"It's really like a family and a community," he said.
When the COVID pandemic forced the Capitol Theatre to shut down, it was the community that helped it stay afloat by donating to a GoFundMe page.
But when it re-opened last year, organizers didn't forget that generosity and wanted to pass it on.
"It's a way for us to give back to Westchester and the state of New York and all our fans," LaRocca said.
They came up with the idea of #TheCapCares, a rewards program that offers a pair of free concert tickets to anyone who volunteers in the area through an organized event, from feeding the hungry to cleaning parks and planting trees.
Through the program, volunteerism has been skyrocketing, and the number of free tickets passed out has, as well.
Each ticket varies in price point, but since they started the project, they've given out about 500 of them, and organizers have no plans on stopping.
"The Cap Cares program is going to be around for as long as we are around," LaRocca said. "It brings people together... It helps the venue and it helps the community."
For more information on how you can get involved with #TheCapCares program, click here.