The Allen County Public Library is excited to announce its April partnership with the Club Room at the Clyde Theatre has been a resounding success raising $5,870 over a four-week fundraising initiative in support of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
Allen County Public Library news release:
Club Room at the Clyde’s “Nashville Thursdays” Raise More than $5,000 for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library!
Fort Wayne, Indiana (April 29, 2025) – The Allen County Public Library (ACPL) is excited to announce its April partnership with the Club Room at the Clyde Theatre has been a resounding success raising $5,870 over a four-week fundraising initiative in support of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Every Thursday in the month of April, the Club Room at the Clyde hosted “Nashville Thursdays for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.”
Club Room guests making a donation to the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. Photo courtesy of the ACPL.
The new partnership invited the community to support the Imagination Library’s work while enjoying Dolly Parton’s music performed by Western Swing Hall of Famer Carolyn Martin. The funds will directly support 190 Allen County children for 1 year through the nationally recognized early literacy program that provides free books to children from birth to age 5.
Prior to each regularly scheduled Nashville Thursday concert, Martin performed while Allen County Public Library representatives shared information about the Imagination Library, offered registration opportunities, and collected donations.
“We connected with so many country fans and community members who were excited to see the program finally come to Allen County and wanted to support it with their own donations,” said ACPL Executive Director Susan P. Baier. “We were overwhelmed by the love and generosity from the Club Room guests. I believe it is indicative of Allen County’s dedication to promoting reading in the home and giving children the foundation they need for academic and economic success.”
ACPL Executive Director Susan P. Baier, Western Swing Hall of Famer Carolyn Martin, and Clyde Theatre Executive Director Gregg Coyle. Photo courtesy of the ACPL.
The fundraising partnership is in addition to a $10,000 gift made by the Surack Family Foundation in October to help launch the Imagination Library.
“This overwhelming positive response from our customers, neighbors and fans, as well as the Surack Family Foundation’s previous contribution, illustrates our ongoing commitment to the mission and success of the Allen County Public Library and the community it serves,” said Clyde Theatre Executive Director Gregg Coyle. “We encourage everyone to get involved in making a difference however they can!”
About the Allen County Public Library
The Allen County Public Library (ACPL) has fostered lifelong learning and discovery in northeast Indiana for more than 135 years. The ACPL consists of fourteen branches throughout Allen County, serving more than one million visitors per year. The ACPL’s collection includes more than 3.9 million items, with a circulation total of 4.6 million items borrowed annually. It also houses The Genealogy Center, the nation’s largest public genealogy research center, and The Rolland Center for Lincoln Research, consisting of more than 30,000 artifacts related to President Abraham Lincoln.
About the Clyde Theatre
Clyde Theatre is Northeast Indiana’s leading concert, live entertainment, and event venue located in Fort Wayne, accommodating up to 2,300 fans. Having staged over 350 concerts and events from internationally renowned touring artists and entertained over 350,000 fans from all 50 states and dozens of other countries since opening in 2018, Clyde Theatre is recognized and celebrated as a favorite venue of both artists and fans alike.
Clyde Theatre was originally built as the region’s movie house in 1951 but stood vacant from the early 1990s until being purchased in 2012. With funding from Sweetwater Sound founder Chuck Surack and his wife Lisa and additional support from other community partners, Clyde Theatre initially underwent a $9+ million dollar
transformation and opened in May of 2018. Since then, it has received continuous upgrades to enhance artist performances as well as the fan experience. For more information visit www.clydetheatre.com.
Adjacent to the theatre, Club Room at The Clyde is a 420-seat restaurant & live music venue serving lunch, dinner, pre-show dining and late night menus with live music featuring local and regional acts six nights a week. For more information visit www.clydeclubroom.com.
Just next door, Crescendo Coffee & More is the neighborhood’s go-to coffee shop, café & gathering place open 7 days a week, morning, noon and night. For more information visit: www.crescendocoffeeandmore.com.
