ALAMOGORDO — The Flickinger Center for Performing Arts received a surprise of a lifetime after it received a generous donation of $100,000 from a former Alamogordo business owner, Clare Miller.

The news comes during the Flickinger’s opportunity to win a $100,000 grant from USA Today under their philanthropic initiative “A Community Thrives” (ACT), which helps communities to improve and expand upon their ideas.

Edward Jones Investments Financial Advisor Linda Schalk said Miller is a philanthropist who wanted to donate the $100,000 to the Flickinger for the community to enjoy.

Miller was unable to attend the presentation of the check but sent her best regards to the Flickinger Board.

Schalk presented the check to Flickinger Executive Director Jim Mack and Executive Board of the Flickinger members Teresa Ham and Linda Rardin on behalf of Miller.

“Clare asked me to present this gift of $100,000 to the Flick for the enjoyment of all, a little payback for all the enjoyment the Flickinger brings to life,” Schalk said. “Former Alamogordo business owners Shelby and Clare Miller have long donated of their time and money to many Alamogordo organizations. They are both graduates of Texas Tech, they did everything as a team. They built several businesses in our town, of which the Good Year Auto Center may be what they are most well known for. They raised two great kids, Derek and Cynthia, and were very involved in supporting Alamogordo High School sports program as well.”

Ham said she was grateful for Miller’s generosity because the money will go to support the Flickinger in many ways.

“She’s been a longtime supporter of the Flickinger Children’s Program and we’re very grateful for her. She also supports scholarships through rotary and does a lot of wonderful things that people don’t know about,” Ham said. “What a lot of people don’t know is that ticket sales and rentals do not pay the expenses of the theatre and all the things we do for the community. This will help enhance the whole big picture so that we can do more for the community.”

The Flickinger Center for Performing Arts brings in 6,000 school children each year to experience live performing arts. It brings world class performances and provides a stage for local talent. The theatre also significantly impacts the local economy and enhances the quality of life in the community.

Mack said they plan on saving the $100,000 for the Flickinger’s future in hopes that they will still receive a grant from USA Today that will go to replacing the white reader-board to programmable LED screens. The grant will also be used to change the lighting under the awning into LED lighting and have it recessed into the awning, repair all the neon lights on the edge of the awning and have all the electrical work rewired.

“The plan is we’ll use it for the marquee unless we win the grant money from USA Today. If that happens what we’d like to do is put this in our endowment and that’ll provide for us for the future,” Mack said. “It’s also helping to draw attention to the downtown area and help develop it for all the businesses down here. We want to have something that’s unique, not a lot of towns have a marquee like this. It’s going to help us sustain the Flickinger for our kids and our grandkids.”

Mack said he is also thankful for Miller’s donation because not only is she helping the Flickinger but she is also doing something for the greater good of the community.

“Its people like her and others who have helped the Flick through the years for people to enjoy and for all the local organizations that utilize it and school kids,” he said. “She’s really doing something wonderful for the community.”

How to vote

To vote for the Flickinger to win up to $100,000 from USA Today visit USA Today Network’s ACT website at http://act.usatoday.com and click on “Vote Now” and search for “Alamogordo” to find the project. Voting ends May 12 at 10 a.m.

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