With more than 40 volunteers working tirelessly at Kyabram Plaza Theatre to continue showcasing the best movies, the volunteers have received recognition for their hard work with the prestigious Community Group of the Year award for Kyabram and Campaspe Shire.
With the plaza being run solely by volunteers, the theatre has been able to keep its doors open after being reopened in 1983 thanks to the amazing help of the Kyabram Youth Club and, in particular, Kevin Simmons.
Each volunteer has a different story to tell about how they became part of the Kyabram Plaza community, whether it is through their parents brought them along, wanting to give back to the community or just wanting to have a say on what movies are being played, the plaza has created a special place in many hearts.
For many the plaza holds plenty of memories, whether on the stage having a recital or sitting in the seats watching a movie or recital.
The Plaza Theatre has changed dramatically in the years it has been open, however, the people have remained the friendliest in town.
Gary Gledhill has been volunteering for more than 30 years at the Kyabram Plaza Theatre after his wife got a job at Hurley’s to buy a car; however, he has since stayed.
These changes included how the films were shown with a projector that could only hold films that were 20 minutes long and had cue marks to tell operators when to change films.
Wayne Mulcahy has been projecting the films for the past 20 years.
“Back then they were short of a projector and there was a risk of shutting down,” Mr Mulcahy said.
“It is a way to give back to the community. I love the old building and keeping it in use is great.”
Alison Pulsoni joined the committee after wanting to give back to the community after COVID-19.
“I had two kids at home who had enough of the movies,” Mrs Pulsoni said.
Mrs Pulsoni’s three daughters, Gabby, Amelia, and Emerson Pulsoni, have volunteered their time at Kyabram Plaza Theatre; however, they are all now at university.
The Kyabram Plaza Theatre would also like to thank a man with whom it would not be possible to be open as long as it has, Kevin Simmons.
Mr Simmons was a part of the committee that helped reopen the plaza doors in 1983 when the building was not in use.
He stayed a part of the committee and has been helping the volunteers with all his knowledge of the building and how the business is run.
Although he has not been a part of the inner works for the past five years due to his mobility, he always asks questions and is still interested in what is happening at the plaza.
“He is a great resource,” Lisa Ratcliffe said.
“It wouldn’t be it without him.”
All of the volunteers have grown close to one another and are excited about what the future holds for them.