FORT DODGE — Iowa Central Community College students have started building the set for the spring musical “Beauty and the Beast.”

That set will fill the stage of Decker Auditorium as the classic tale draws audiences for the first time into the revamped auditorium and new Center for the Performing Arts next month.

As the debut of those facilities draws near, the college has announced some major donations to the Dream Big Act Now campaign that is helping to pay for them.

The Daniel family, which owns Daniel Pharmacy at 1114 Central Avenue, Fort Dodge, donated $100,000.

“When you are a community pharmacy you have to take care of your community,” said John Daniel, the owner and founder of the business.

None of the Daniels have been on stage at Iowa Central, but they have frequently been in the audience.

“We go to a lot of their events,” Daniel said. “They have exceptional talent at Iowa Central.”

“Iowa Central is really something special for our community,” he added.

He said that Decker Auditorium, which seats about 1,200 people, is the “biggest and best” in a 60 mile radius.

Daniel added that he appreciates the benefit that being able to be involved in the performing arts has on students.

“It rounds them out,” he said. “They have something other than just learning their profession.”

Two other big gifts to the Dream Big Act Now campaign were also recently announced by the college.

A $75,000 gift was made by Northwest Bank of Fort Dodge.

A $50,000 donation came from the Jackson family of Fort Dodge. That donation is from Joe and Karen Jackson and Joseph Jackson II and Teresa Jackson. Teresa Jackson is the college’s theater director and an advanced instructor in communications.

“We are very, very grateful for the generosity that we have been shown,” said college President Jesse Ulrich. “That project really hit home with a lot of people because they saw the need.”

Ulrich said the final items on the construction project are being finished.

“We’re really excited for people to see the new space,” he said.

More than $3 million was raised in the first phase of the Dream Big Act Now campaign, according to Mary Ludwig, the college’s vice president for development and alumni relations.

She said a second phase focused on annual giving to support the center will start after the facility opens.

“We’re very grateful for the generous support of our many, many donors,” Ludwig said.