The Asolo Theatre Company NEWS
January 18, 2005
Images attached: Bus loads of children from Girls, Inc. of Sarasota County prepare to enjoy a holiday production of Peter Pan at the Asolo.
Tinker Bell Helps the Asolo Fulfill Children’s Dreams
More than 400 area children attend Peter Pan thanks to benevolent fund
Sarasota, FL – The Asolo Theatre Company is pleased to report that more than 400 children throughout the Sarasota and Manatee area attended performances of Peter Pan during November and December 2004 thanks to the Tinker Bell Fund, a benevolent fund dedicated to sharing the magic of live theatre with underprivileged children.
The children who attended the play came from area foster homes and youth groups such as The Boys and Girls Clubs of Sarasota and Manatee counties, Girls Inc. of Sarasota County, Just for Girls and Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast.
The Tinker Bell Fund evolved from the Tiny Tim Fund, which was started by a young actor named Chris Keller who played Tiny Tim in the Asolo production of A Christmas Carol a few years ago. The Asolo covers most of the cost per child by donating most of the cost for each ticket, with the Tinker Bell Fund contributing $12 for each child.
Contributions to the Asolo’s 2004-2005 Tinker Bell Fund came from some likely and unlikely places. Corporate sponsor Harris Trust provided $2,500 of the $4,275 collected to pay for hundreds of tickets. The remaining donations came from patrons who placed money in lobby collection boxes, an anonymous birthday gift of 30 tickets from a wife to her husband, staff at the Asolo, and donated stipends from cast members. In fact, ten-year-old cast member Anthony DeNiro, following in the footsteps of Chris Keller, donated his paycheck to the fund.
According to Susan Melum, the Asolo’s marketing director, “We’re thankful for the support the fund received, even though we fell a little short of the costs involved. This was a rewarding and worthy project that I am sure made many children very happy. It feels very good to know that the holidays were a little brighter for children in need.”
For information on making contributions to the Tinker Bell Fund, contact Susan Melum at 941-351-9010, Ext. 4808. To learn more about the Asolo’s other programs for children, call Asolo Education Director Carol Kleinberg at 941-351-9010, Ext. 3310.
The Asolo is funded in part by the Division of Cultural Affairs, Florida Department of State, The Florida Arts Council, the City and County of Sarasota and the Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax through the Board of County Commissioners, the Tourist Development Council, and the Sarasota Arts Council. The Asolo Theatre Company’s Shakespeare productions are sponsored in part by Shakespeare in American Communities, a national theater initiative sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and The Sallie Mae Fund in cooperation with Arts Midwest. Additional funding is also received through the efforts of support groups including the Asolo Angel Association, the Asolo Theatre Guild, The Directors Emeritus and the generosity of individuals, corporations and foundations.