ASU GAMMAGE IS MORE THAN JUST BROADWAY

A great university needs a great theater. That’s the quick reason for our support of ASU Gammage.

There was no better place for a formal date when we first met. Great Broadway shows and a wide variety of concerts and other performances; all in a magnificent theater. ASU Gammage was just 7 years old then and pretty classy for a young couple. Suits and cocktail dresses were the custom for theater then. As we planned to marry, season tickets were in those plans.

We still have those season tickets, though we’ve moved up from row 26. Broadway is better than ever, and we look forward to each season with excitement. It’s still a great place for today’s young (and not-so-young) couples to have a formal date! We want to make sure that they have the ASU Gammage that we have enjoyed for these 40 years. That’s why we became donors years ago and, in recent years, provided for a bequest to ASU Gammage in our estate plan.

As we have become more involved with ASU Gammage, we have learned that ticket sales only cover a fraction of the cost to operate and maintain the theater. Private philanthropy is needed to maintain the structure, especially as it approaches its 50th anniversary in 2014. Furthermore,Frank Lloyd Wright could not have imagined the technological advances in theater sound, lighting, and set movement. Donor support is vital to keep ASU Gammage as one of the top touring Broadway houses in the country.

ASU Gammage is more than just Broadway. There are many outreach programs that benefit students and the community. One of particular interest to us is Camp Broadway, which teaches students life skills as they learn about theater. Our estate gift will benefit them, as well as keep ASU Gammage as a state of the art facility.

We hope that Gammage has meant as much to you as it has to us. To ensure that ASU Gammage remains a cherished venue for future generations of students, families, and theater lovers, we encourage you to consider establishing your own legacy through an estate gift to ASU Gammage.

- Sue and Bill Ahearn

“Endowing ASU Gammage’s Cultural Participation programs will honor Colleen’s 20 year dedication to Connecting CommunitiesTM through the arts and ensure that ASU Gammage can continue to provide our community with access to meaningful cultural experiences," says Peter Means, Director of Development for ASU Gammage.

For more information about the Colleen Jennings-Roggensack Endowment for Cultural Participation, please call ASU Gammage’s development office at 480-965-2176.