Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center

With a tremendous commitment by Helen Stairs, her family, many individuals and organizations, and with the assistance of State and federal grant funds, the old Ritz Theater in Sanford was restored in 2000 and deisgnated as the Helen Stairs Theater.

This new community facility was most fittingly renamed the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center in 2007.  Originally built in 1923, the theater is part of the rich history and beauty of Sanford, and celebrated its grand reopening on May 6, 1999.

To honor this community restoration  effort, Congressman Mica recounted the History of the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center on the Floor of the U.S. House of Representatives on May 2, 2000.