FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ASOLO TRADITION
BRINGS CHILDREN JOY
Benevolent fund started by Tiny Tim actor helps
less fortunate children attend A Christmas Carol
Sarasota, FL (November 28, 2005) – The Asolo Theatre Company is pleased to announce that children throughout the Sarasota and Manatee area will once again attend performances of A Christmas Carol during December 2005 thanks to the Tiny Tim Fund, a benevolent fund dedicated to sharing the magic of live theatre with underprivileged children.
The children who attend the play on behalf of the fund come from area foster homes and youth groups such as The Boys and Girls Clubs of Sarasota and Manatee counties, Girls Inc. of SarasotaCounty, Just for Girls and Big Brothers Big Sisters of the SunCoast.
The Tiny Tim Fund was started by a young actor named Chris Keller who played the original Tiny Tim in the Asolo production of A Christmas Carol. The fund is carried on by a new generation of young actors and the Asolo staff. The Asolo donates most of the cost for each ticket, with the Tiny Tim Fund contributing $15 for each child.
Contributions to the Asolo’s 2005 Tiny Tim Fund will come from some likely and unlikely places. Corporate sponsor, Harris Trust, will provide $2,500 of the total collected. The remaining donations will come from patrons who place money in lobby collection boxes, corporate gifts, Asolo staff, and donated stipends from cast members like twelve-year-old Anthony DeNiro (who plays young Scrooge), following in the footsteps of Chris Keller. Keller, at age nine, initiated the Tiny Tim Fund by donating his paycheck. Additionally, theatre donations can be made in honor of someone or as a holiday gift.
According to Susan Melum, the Asolo’s marketing director, “We’re thankful for the support the fund receives each year, even though we sometimes fall a little short of the costs involved. This is a rewarding and worthy project that I am sure will continue to make many children very happy. It feels so good to know that the holidays are a little brighter for children in need thanks to this fund.”
For information on making contributions to the Tiny Tim 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 Carrie Mills at 941-351-9010, Ext. 3320.
####
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.