While movie theaters across the nation have struggled to stay afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic, the State Theatre in Washington recently displayed words of appreciation for state and federal economic relief.

The world’s longest continuously operating movie theatre thanked Governor Kim Reynolds and Senator Joni Ernst for their support on their marquee as its owner Fridley Theatres recently received $10,000 for each of its movie theatre screens in Iowa through Governor Reynolds’ Iowa Movie Theatre Relief Program. Fridley Vice President Russell Vannorsdel says there has been about a 75% revenue loss for the State Theatre, with an 85% loss for the entire company, “To be entirely honest if it wasn’t for Governor Reynolds’ state aid of movie theaters across the state of Iowa I know I sit on a board of regional theaters, there were many theaters in Iowa that were going to close and maybe close permanently. In fact Fridley Theatres was having a hard time figuring out without holiday hits, without federal COVID relief, how we were going to make it much past January or February in 2021.”

Vannorsdel says he hopes for an additional round of Paycheck Protection Program funding from Congress, and that the number of new movies distributed will increase this spring so the State Theatre can expand back to holding showings every day. He does mention that the theatre will hold showings beyond the weekends during the holiday break as students are out of school.