West Bend Insurance representatives present check to the Wieting Theatre Guild. From left, Dave Nicholas, West Bend Mutual Insurance Regional Sales Manager, Denise Fletcher, Guild president, Shayna Zmolek, Guild member, Matt Zmolek, Agent and Dale Kent, West Bend Mutual Insurance - Chief Financial Officer. -Photo provided

West Bend Mutual Insurance Company has announced it has awarded a $10,000 grant to Wieting Theatre and Opera House Guild, a local Toledo nonprofit.

The award was made through West Bend’s Independent Agents’ Fund at the recommendation of West Bend’s independent insurance agent, Matt Zmolek of Independent Insurance Services of Central Iowa located in Toledo.

Toledo’s Wieting Theatre and Opera House opened in 1912 originally as a showcase opera house, but now serves as a movie theater as well as a local hub where musicians and actors can take the stage and perform various times throughout the year. The Wieting Theatre Guild is a nonprofit organization comprised of members and volunteers dedicated to keeping the doors of downtown Toledo’s grand theatre open for the community to enjoy.

“In 2008, Wieting Theatre and Opera House underwent a $1.4 million restoration project and West Bend’s grant will help us maintain and fund Phase II which will renovate the basement, bring the back stage up to code and provide new rigging and light for our coveted community attraction,” said Zmolek, who is a volunteer and whose wife is also a member of the Wieting Theatre Guild. “Keeping the Wieting Theatre open means a great deal to our community, and we are grateful for the support from West Bend and Independent Insurance Services of Central Iowa allowing our families to enjoy this iconic venue for many more years to come.”

West Bend Mutual Insurance Company has worked hard over the last century to provide the highest level of service to its customers and grow its business, and is committed to sharing its success with the communities it serves and the good people who live and work in these communities. West Bend makes donations to causes that its independent insurance agents support in their communities through the West Bend Mutual Insurance Company Independent Agents’ Fund.

“At West Bend, we have a proud tradition of giving back to the communities in which we do business,” said Kevin Steiner, president and CEO of West Bend Mutual Insurance Company. “The Independent Agents’ Fund is a unique program that allows us to express our gratitude to our agent partners on whom we rely to identify the causes that matter most in our communities.”

Since 2006, West Bend Mutual Insurance Company has awarded more than $1 million to worthy organizations supported by its independent insurance agents. This year, West Bend will present over $92,000 to Midwest nonprofit organizations through its Independent Agents’ Fund.

About West Bend Mutual Insurance Company

Founded in 1894, West Bend Mutual Insurance Company is headquartered in West Bend, Wisconsin, and provides property/casualty insurance products throughout the Midwest. The company offers a broad personal lines coverage package, a full range of commercial products and services, insurance for specialty lines, and a surety division. West Bend employs more than 1,200 associates and is represented by approximately 1,300 independent insurance agencies throughout Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Missouri, Kansas, Kentucky, and Nebraska and has grown to more than $1.5 billion in assets and more than $1 billion in annual revenue. The company has been rated A (Excellent) or better by A.M. Best since 1971 and is consistently ranked at the top of a nationwide ease-of-doing business survey.