Wild Rose Moon requests $25K sponsorship in 2026 and 2027

Paul Debenedietis, board member for the Wild Rose Moon, and George Schricker, Executive Director, appeared before the Plymouth City Council last week with a proposal seeking $25,000 in 2026 and $25,000 in 2027 as a sponsor for the monthly radio and TV show.

They thanked the City of Plymouth for their support over the last 10 years, including being awarded a couple of façade grants, collaboration with the mayor’s office on the city’s social media site, and Mayor Listenberger's support by participating in one of the TV game shows.     

The sponsorship and investment in the Moon will allow them to continue with monthly performances on public television and radio across Michiana. Paul said, “It brings the visibility of Plymouth well outside Marshall County.”  He said the average viewership and listenership is 10,000 people, and the support we are asking for goes totally into our production of the shows for radio and TV.”  

The sponsorship would include the city’s logo and a mention of the City of Plymouth, as well as photos at the beginning of the television show and a mention at the start of the radio show. The openers for the shows mention the REES Theatre, the Heartland Art Center, the Yellow River, and being in Plymouth.   

Participation in their 11 performances at the Wild Rose Moon in 2024 was as follows: 49% (270 people) from Marshall County, 36% (198 individuals) from outside Marshall County, and 15% (82 individuals) from outside the state.

Wild Rose Moon intends to expand its reach and increase its brand presence.

Mayor Listenberger said if the council is interested in participating in this sponsorship opportunity, we would have to put additional funds into the Mayor’s Promotion of the City line item. He said he doesn’t currently have enough in his budget to meet the request.

Councilman Duane Culp commented that downtown is thriving with The REES, Heartland Arts, and Wild Rose Moon. He said he is supportive of the Moon, but the city council needs to see where the 2026 budget is before they decide.  Culp noted that with the new tax breaks, they need to see what impact it will have on the city’s revenues.   

Culp made a motion to table the request, and Kayla Krawthwol seconded the motion with all members voting in favor.

Mayor Listenberger said they are in the middle of the budget process, so they need to see what the picture is for the city before they commit.