Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation Awards Orlando Family Stage $500,000

The Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation (EBCF) and Orlando Family Stage (OFS) announced a $500,000 grant to Orlando Family Stage in support of their Centennial Celebration. This gift also celebrates Edyth Bush's own commitment to live theater and love for Central Florida.  After Edyth Bassler Bush died in 1972, the Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation honored her love of the arts with a grant to complete a new home for the Central Florida Civic Theater in Loch Haven Park. That theater, now part of Orlando Family Stage (previously known as Orlando Repertory Theatre), bears her name.

The Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation has made a transformative leadership gift to Orlando Family Stage, affirming the organization's fiscal strength, creative ambition, and commitment to empowering young people through theatre. This generous investment lights the way for others across Central Florida to follow, sending a clear and energizing message: the future of Orlando Family Stage is worth rallying around.

“This leadership gift from the Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation affirms the power of Orlando Family Stage's mission to build bravery, empathy, and imagination in the next generation,” said Jennifer Evins, President and CEO, United Arts of Central Florida. “It also creates a platform for others to join in, helping ensure that every child in our community has access to the kind of transformative experiences that only live theatre can offer. This is a moment to invest in Central Florida's next generation of innovators and creators and we are grateful to EBCF for making art thrive!” 

The EBCF grant will help fuel our centennial celebration: 

• Investing in a bold marketing and visibility campaign to expand and raise awareness among local and national audiences  

• Launching the Playwright Track at the new Florida Children's Book Festival — honoring Mrs. Bush's legacy as a writer and champion of theater

• Increasing community access through initiatives like No Empty Seat 

• Building a stronger infrastructure to grow sustainable revenue streams and deepen audience engagement now and in the future 

“As the incoming board chair, I'm incredibly excited about what's ahead for Orlando Family Stage,” said David Riccardi, VP, First Horizon Bank. “This grant is more than a moment, it's momentum! Our focus is on lasting outcomes: more young people stepping into their confidence, more families connecting through shared experiences, and more communities strengthened by empathy and imagination. The Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation's leadership gift helps turn that vision into reality. This incredible investment into OFS creates further momentum towards the future we know is possible: one where brave, creative young people grow into the leaders our Central Florida region needs.”

“This extraordinary gift from the Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation transforms our Centennial from a milestone into a movement,” said Chris Brown, Executive Director of Orlando Family Stage. “For 100 years, visionary leaders like Mrs. Bush have ensured that theatre for young people thrives in our community. This investment honors that legacy while boldly looking ahead-helping the next generation discover their voice, confidence, and empathy through the power of storytelling.” 

“This initiative aligns powerfully with the Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation's mission of creating innovative civic solutions that help people help themselves,” said David A. Odahowski, President & CEO. “Orlando Family Stage's Centennial is more than a celebration; it's a forward-looking effort to expand access to the arts, strengthen community connection, and empower young people through storytelling and self-expression.

“Our support of the new Playwright Track at the Florida Children's Book Festival helps cultivate the next generation of storytellers, creating new work that reflects today's children and prepares them for tomorrow.

“By investing in both programming and marketing infrastructure, we are also helping ensure long-term sustainability; welcoming new families, engaging future donors, and building a stronger community through the arts.

“With Mrs. Bush's name tied to this vision, the Centennial Celebration becomes a bold statement about the future of creativity, partnership, and leadership in Central Florida.”

The Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation's support of Orlando Family Stage is significant and deep. Across fifty one years, EBCF's summary of support includes, but is not limited to funding a new children's theatre expansion in 1974 as well as renovations to the theatre in 2003, 2012, 2013; support of the Sensory Friendly Series in the 2014-2015 and 2015-16 seasons, funds dedicated to the No Empty Bus Program in the 2015-16 season, and in 2015 the transition to a new patron ticketing and donor database system. Since 1974, EBCF has granted 29 gifts totaling over $1.8 million dollars (*not adjusted for inflation, based on giving years). When adjusted for inflation, using current information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics provided by the Consumer Price Index, the 2025 equivalent estimated total is $4.2 million dollars.  

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