Supporting the Arts Means Doing Good Business

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Sep 02, 2020, 09:25 ET

WAYNESBORO, Va., Sept. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- It comes as no surprise that the performing arts sector has been profoundly impacted by COVID-19. After all, it is a community that is usually the first to feel the pain---or joy--- of any shift in consumer behavior depending on the direction of change.

Leonard Pittman, First Bank & Trust Company; Tracy Straight, Wayne Theatre

This entire year has been a montage of cancelled performances and rescheduled events, as the arts community re-invents itself through live streaming, pod casts, social media and drive-in theater productions. Any town that has a rich cultural and vibrant artistic scene will do what it takes to preserve and support its arts community because their thriving town is living proof that supporting the arts plays a major role in building a stronger community. Educators, too, will tell you that young people develop critical thinking skills from exposure to art, theater and music. (Employers might want to take note of this when looking for exceptional attributes in the hiring process.) Companies that seize the opportunity to support the arts know that it is arguably the smartest philanthropic investment a business can make.

First Bank & Trust Company has built its 41-year-long reputation on being a community bank, and one of its most promising community partners has been the Wayne Theatre Alliance. Leonard Pittman, Senior Vice President and Commercial Lender for First Bank and Trust Company in Staunton, recently met with the Executive Director of Wayne Theatre, Tracy Straight, to make a donation in an effort to show support and promote solidarity during these challenging times.

Tracy Straight commented on the impact of community awareness, "Support like what First Bank & Trust Company has shown reinforces the sense of community the Wayne Theater brings to its loyal patrons. As a community, we should never lose sight of what connects us."

For Pittman, making the donation in a show of support was an easy decision. "The arts are what brings a community together. Living without them seems unimaginable, especially if you're a community banker."

About Wayne Theatre Alliance
The Wayne Theatre Alliance promotes the artistic, cultural, and educational opportunities and the economic vitality of Waynesboro and adjacent region through the operation and preservation of the Ross Performing Arts Center at the historic Wayne Theatre as a performing arts/conference facility.

About First Bank & Trust Company
First Bank & Trust Company, one of the top community banks in the United States, is a diversified financial services firm with office locations in southwest Virginia, northeast Tennessee, and New River and Shenandoah Valleys. Financial objectives are addressed by offering free checking products for personal and business accounts, and assessing lending solutions managed by mortgage, agricultural and commercial lending divisions. Comprehensive financial solutions are available through trust and brokerage service representatives.

For more information, visit www.firstbank.com or contact Nicole Franks [email protected]

SOURCE First Bank & Trust Company