For the past 6 weeks, our show has been raising money for Broadway Cares/ Equity Fights Aids. This is a holiday standard in the theater community. To give the canned talk we hear every night, twice a year the theatrical community comes together to raise money for a cause that's near and dear to our hearts; BC/EFA. This organization has raised over $114 million dollars since 1988. All of these monies come from the theater going public. This means every touring and Broadway show are asking 8 audiences a week for 6 weeks to donate to this cause. Besides helping to fight AIDS nationwide, they also support the Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative and the Al Hershfeld Free Clinic of the Actor's Fund. Our show has many cool incentives for giving and the one I can offer online is the "Ladies of the Barricade" 2012 calendar. It's a Mad Men inspired calendar that plays word games with the lyrics from the show. If you are interested in the beautiful calendar seen below, contact lesmis25@gmail.com It's $30 plus $5 shipping. To learn more about Broadway Cares click HERE.
Another cast member is gathering items for Toys for Tots. This is the standard Christmas charity in my book. We are gathering our toys for the children in Minneapolis, Minnesota. When selecting these toys the emphasis is on getting family-friendly toys. Ones that require creativity and spending time together. I choose Play-Doh. It's a little messy, but a lot of fun. I grabbed two different items, one standard set of Play-Doh and the other with some numbers to use. All it takes is a little effort and these kids will be using these gifts for the year to come. And I only spend $10, which is very minimal.
Another holiday standard is the Salvation Army. Here's a picture from Pat and Bob's visit to NYC in 2009. Bob is putting his full-on holiday spirit into the carols to get money for the Salvation Army. You see the ringers everywhere and it's so easy to put all your spare coins into their collection. Making this Christmas all about giving has really been fun. I love when I see the ringers because I know that's my gift this year. I have no qualms making Steven wait as I sift through my purse for any money. The Salvation Army is such a complex organization. Take a little time to read over their website and you'd be amazed at all the things they are doing. The money from the red kettle collections will help feed the hungry, make sure senior citizens have heat, and shelter 10 million people. To me, this is a no-brainer, if everyone who walked into Wal-Mart or Target put in $1 image what this organization could do.
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