Dec. 1, 2024
Theatre Cares Vancouver has been raising funds and awareness for those living with HIV/AIDS, and for vulnerable members of our community, since 1991. We averaged, over 33 years, to raise 25K/year to distribute to worthy charities. That’s roughly $825,000.00 raised by volunteers. Theatre Cares also looked out for the health and well-being of our Canadian artists by annually supporting The Actors Fund of Canada and the Performing Arts Lodge of Vancouver. In addition, our Theatre Cares Scholarship of $1500.00 annually was designed to provide relief to promising emerging theatre artists in training who were struggling to continue their studies. Past recipients include Cameron Peal and Ashley Chartrand.
Without the generosity of theatre patrons and the support of local theatre companies, most notably Bard on the Beach and The Arts Club, Theatre Cares would not have been able to do the work that it has done. Our fundraising efforts have benefited many charities including the Coast Foundation, Triage Emergency Services & Care Society, Camp Moomba, PEERS Vancouver, Rainbow Refugee, BC Persons With Aids Society and Aids Vancouver, to name just a few. People’s lives were positively impacted, and suffering was replaced with hope.
Theatre Cares Vancouver was an artist-driven, volunteer-based organization that united the generous spirit of Vancouver’s performing arts community with its supporters to raise funds and awareness for HIV/AIDS relief and other worthy causes. It is with a full heart that we say a fond farewell. Our last disbursement was to Rainbow Refugee on Dec. 1, 2024. After three plus decades, it is time to move on and invite the next generation of theatre artists to care in whatever way they see fit. We at Theatre Cares hope we have been an inspiration.
To all the many people who have volunteered for and supported us over the years, we send our deepest gratitude.
Sincerely,
Diane Brown,
Theatre Cares, Vancouver.