Abilene Cultural Affairs Council is hosting an event, “In the Heights of Hollywood,” to honor Nelson Coates, an award-winning ACU alumni production designer, on Sept. 26.

The fundraiser was originally supposed to take place on March 28, but due to the circumstances of COVID-19 it is rescheduled for later this year.

“We were excited that we were able to find another date that we could get all these pieces to work together,” Kaye Price-Hawkins, the chairman of event and Coates’ eighth-grade teacher, said.

Coates grew up in Abilene, attended Abilene High School and graduated ACU in 1984 with a degree in Advertising.

The Department of Journalism and Mass Communication presented him with a Gutenberg Award to Coates in 1994. He was an Emmy nominee that year for “outstanding individual achievement in art direction for a miniseries or a special.”

ACAC, the art council for the city, will present Coates with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

“HeARTS for the Arts” is one of the programs ACAC supports.

“HeARTS for the Arts is specifically to support programs for children or at-risk populations.” Lynn Barnett, executive director of ACAC, said.

ACAC puts on a fundraiser for this program every three to four years.

“In the Heights of Hollywood” will have two parts to the event. Dinner will take place at Prosperity Bank at 6 p.m., then everyone will walk to the Paramount Theatre for a dessert reception.

Coates will be presented with the award at the Paramount. He will speak and show clips from his films.

Barnett said they are expecting 300 people for the dinner and an additional fifty to 100 people at the Paramount.

Tickets are $125 for the whole event and $20 for just the Paramount portion. Price-Hawkins said tickets were almost sold out prior to the postponement.

ACAC is giving refunds if people cannot attend due to this change.