ORLANDO, Fla. – As little orphan Annie sang about a hopeful tomorrow in “Annie The Musical,” foster kids with the Foundation for Foster Children left the theatre feeling hopeful too.
Late last month, they had a chance to attend a pre-show lunch, watch the musical and then take home an “Annie” swag bag.
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The executive director of the Foundation for Foster Children says the show reminded them that they, too, can focus on the future.
“The opportunity it creates for older youth to spend time outside of the group homes, connect with their mentors and know that there is a community of people who care about them, their life experiences and their future,” Raquel Bell said.
The Foundation for Foster Children is a nonprofit serving those ages 0 to 23 in foster care. It provides support that goes beyond the basic needs of wellness and safety.
“The story of Annie is so redemptive, and our youth came away feeling hopeful for the future. Seeing Annie was a tremendous gift to us all,” Bell said.
The nonprofit was able to go to the show through the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts community giveback program. This year is the busiest season yet, with many organizations benefitting from the program.
“Annie is a story about finding your chosen family and discovering your inner strength. In this spirit, we reached out to three wonderful organizations to inspire moments of connection, with the power of theater,” said Kathy Ramsberger, president and CEO of the Dr. Phillips Center.
The Finley Project, which was founded to care for mothers who lost their infants, and the Girl Scouts of Citrus Council were also able to see the musical for free.
The president and CEO of the Dr. Phillips Center says they first started their community giveback initiative during their 2017/18 season with “Lion King.” Since then, they’ve treated more than 4,000 guests to Broadway and other performances.
“Seeing the way their faces light up with huge smiles is remarkable. People will always remember their first time inside a theater and their first live performance,” Ramsberger said.
She says they choose which organizations to offer the opportunity to by searching for ways to foster inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility. Their goal is to meet the community where they’re at and to bring the arts to more audiences.
“We search for different audiences and/or communities throughout the region who may not have the opportunity to come to the arts center on their own,” Ramsberger said.
“We select the performances based on those that would expose audiences to meaningful life lessons and/or different types of art forms,” she explained.
The next community giveback event is next week where 70 Orange County Public Schools students will have a chance to attend ”Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Live in Concert.”