The Highland Area Christian Service Ministry (HACSM) Food Pantry swept the pot from Hard Road Theater’s recent production of The Odd Couple. The benefit performance featuring John Jatcko and Bill Sullivan, and sponsored by First Mid-Illinois Bank and Trust, raised $5300 for the organization that helps area residents.
“This wasn’t just the hard work of our Hard Road volunteers,” said Sullivan, who also directed the production. “This is a testament to the heart and soul of Highland area residents. When there is someone or some place in town that needs help, the people in our town respond.”
Jatcko and Sullivan reunited to bring to life the classic duo of Oscar Madison and Felix Unger in Neil Simon’s timeless comedy. This was the second run of the show, which originally opened in January 2002. The show also brought together some of Hard Road’s earliest performers including Tom Varner, Wayne Steiner, and Rob Bowman as the poker-playing, unpredictably-funny buddies of Oscar and Felix, and Gentry Nessel and Meredith Canterberry as the crazy, but endearing Pigeon sisters. New faces were also seen in this production, including Jim Burgett as Speed.
“We had help from so many people and places to make this a success,” said Sullivan. “From the furniture donated by Tin Shed; the materials and manpower to build sets donated by Aviston Lumber, Southwest Construction and Highland Rotary Club; Highland Chamber of Commerce for helping us sell tickets, and many, many more.”
The show ran Feb. 1-3, with all net proceeds going to support the HACSM Food Pantry. HACSM began as an outreach project of the mission committee of a local church aimed to provide a food pantry for area residents in need. As the need increased, so did the facility, which is now housed in a 4500 square foot building located at 900 Chestnut Street in Highland, Illinois. HACSM’s service area includes Highland, Grant Fork, Alhambra, New Douglas, Pierron, St. Jacob, and Marine.
Seeing a delighted audience at the end of a production is usually the icing on the cake for most directors, but Sullivan says the good that has come from this production outweighs even that feeling. “Watching the community come together and support such a good cause is heartwarming,” he said. “The food pantry is doing great work in this community and deserves to be supported.”
Hard Road is still accepting donations to be passed along to HACSM Food Pantry. Anyone interested in making a donation should contact Bill Sullivan at (618) 654-2103 or bill@highlandmachine.com.