After dozens of seats were damaged at Sycamore State Theater in what was described by theater owners as an act of vandalism, the historic downtown spot has paired with Hy-Vee to raise funds for new seats.

The owner of Sycamore State Theater, Makie Maratos, shared a picture of damaged theater chairs in a Facebook post on Aug. 27. The pictures appeared to show the tops of arm rests that had been ripped off the seats inside the theater.

“Unfortunately, [Aug. 23] we experienced an act of vandalism that has been part of a slow escalation over time,” Maratos wrote in the post.

Days after the post about damaged chairs, a fundraiser was held by Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity at the Hy-Vee gas station located at 2700 DeKalb Ave. to support the Sycamore State Theater’s remodeling efforts.

Maratos alluded to those efforts in an update to his business’ social media post. He isn’t looking to only use fundraiser money to support the theater, however.

“We are currently working to invest a large sum into improving the theater – including brand new seating – to make your movie experience even better," Maratos wrote. “But setbacks like this create real hardship as we work toward those goals.”

The building that houses the State Theater has been a part of Sycamore culture for a century, having first show films to a public audience in November, 1925.

Though the space hasn’t always been a movie theater, it has remained a fixture of Sycamore’s downtown iconography. That, in part, is why the Sycamore City Council authorized the painting of a mural on the building’s west-facing wall this spring.

Maratos, in the Facebook post, said he wants the theater to remain open to the public.

“As a locally owned and operated family business, we are fully committed to keeping the theater open and thriving for everyone to enjoy,” Maratos wrote. “We are deeply grateful to our amazing employees who work hard to repair this damage.”