June 25, 2021

Credit: WCBC Radio

Congressman David Trone (MD-06) announced that he secured $187,500 in funding for improvements to the Allegany College of Maryland Community Theatre as a part of the FY 2022 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies funding bill. The bill will be considered by the Appropriations Committee in the coming weeks and then head to the House floor for a vote before August.

The Allegany College of Maryland theatre is a central part of the community in Western Maryland. The theatre holds annual events on workforce and economic development to serve the needs of Allegany County residents. The funding for the community theatre will be used for staff training, engineering, redesign, and new lighting and rigging systems, which haven’t received updates since the theatre was founded in the 1970’s. The theatre’s upgrade will also serve as a great benefit to the College’s Multimedia Technology program, a field of study that requires students to receive hands-on experience in order to prepare for a workplace with technology that’s always evolving.

“When I learned about how the theatre improvements could benefit the students of Allegany College, I knew that I needed to make sure we got this funding,” said Congressman David Trone. “These updates will allow our students to gain access to the newest technology and prepare for their future careers. I’ve always been passionate about ensuring that the arts don’t get left behind in our education system, and I’m glad this investment will help our students discover their artistic talents and prepare for the workplace.”

Trone is a member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee and single handedly requested funding for this and other critical local projects earlier this year. Trone made these requests, otherwise known as Community Project Funding, in order to address the dire need for investment in local projects that will help lead to increased economic growth and job creation.