A community group is finally purchasing the Rosendale Theatre after working for months to raise enough money. As our Elaina Athans shows us, it was a reason to celebrate.

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ROSENDALE, N.Y. -- "It wasn't a guarantee when this group of people got together that we would be able to raise enough money to buy a movie theatre," said Stephanie Ellis from the Rosendalke Theatre Collective.

But in the end, the Rosendale Theatre Collective was able to just that. The group was handed over keys to the single screen theatre after raising thousands of dollars for a down payment. And to celebrate the accomplishment, they held a movie screening.

"The people who got together to do this think that a theatre is more than a place to get together to watch a movie. It's a community gathering place," said Ellis.

It took the group about a year to raise more than $160,000 for that down payment. About 60 fundraisers were held and the organization says it was really a community effort, where everyone pitched in to purchase this property.

"As soon as I heard that it was a possibility that if this sort of movement wasn't successful we would no longer have it, I really wanted to be involved in any way that I could," said Rosendale resident Dylan Glenn-Johanson.

"They only show like one movie at a time, but it's always something like really interesting. That don't just have whatever movie is out. They hand pick," said Rosendale resident Emma Jerome.

The theatre will now be completely run by volunteers.

"It's so fun and exciting that most of the time it doesn't even feel like work," said Ellis.

But there is more work ahead. The group wants to raise an additional $600,000 to renovate the interiors.

Ellis said, "We'll be really calling on the community to keep supporting our efforts."