The 5th Avenue Theatre To Recognize Janet And Doug True With 2019 Excellence Award

The 5th Avenue Theatre is proud to announce that Puget Sound business and philanthropy leaders Janet and Doug True will be recognized with the 2019 5th Avenue Theatre Excellence Award. Through their years of charitable giving and business leadership, the True Family has had a profound impact on our local economy and on the cultural profile of our community. The Excellence Award will be presented to the Trues at a private celebration on Friday, October 4, 2019 at the King Street Ballroom & Perch.

"Janet and Doug True represent the very intersection that allows Seattle to thrive," said 5th Avenue Theatre Managing Director Bernadine C. Griffin. "Together they reflect an impactful mix of business leadership and generous philanthropy. Industry and innovation keep Puget Sound on the cutting edge as an economic leader on the West Coast; philanthropy ensures that our great city (and truly, any city) remains culturally vibrant, vital, kind and compassionate. Our community owes tremendous gratitude to the True family for all they have done for our region."

Doug is the president of the family business-Gull Industries, while Janet's early career was shaped by public policy with work at The American Enterprise Institute, as well as positions on Capitol Hill, in the Senate and House, and the Washington State Legislature. While Janet is (often) the public face of their efforts in the community, Janet and Doug True do everything as a team, working together to support the economic health of our region while making the community a better place. Their divide-and-conquer approach to fueling the vibrancy of Puget Sound has made them an invaluable part of our region's profile.

The Trues are a ubiquitous presence in Seattle's fundraising scene, with a nearly three-decade reputation as roll-up-your-sleeves philanthropists and change-leaders devoted to the arts, to youth and education, and to healthcare. They can be found supporting nearly every major gala in the city (and several minor ones, as well). Their charitable giving totals nearly $10 million since 2006. Organizations they have supported over the years include ChangePac, Hopelink, LifeWire, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Path, Plymouth Housing Group, PONCHO, Seattle Art Museum, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Swedish Medical Center Foundation, The Bus School, Treehouse, Woodland Park Zoo, and many more. This passion for giving back is a trait that has trickled down to the next generation of Trues, as well. The True Family was recognized with the "Outstanding Philanthropic Family" from the Association of Fundraising Professionals in 2016.

The 5th Avenue Theatre Excellence Award celebrates individuals whose impact extends far beyond our four walls and into the community we love. It takes a great city to support musical theater. The golden thread that connects our city and our theater is no accident; it's a mutual love story. Cities are at their best and brightest when they have a lively performing arts scene. And performing arts organizations are at their best when they embrace the community they serve. The Excellence Award is a part of that embrace. Proceeds from the event benefit The 5th Avenue Theatre's arts education programs-including our nationally-acclaimed and entirely tuition-free Rising Star Project-that inspire 75,000 young people in Washington State each year. In 2018, The 5th Avenue Theatre presented the inaugural Excellence Award to award-winning broadcaster, newspaper columnist and business leader, Patti Payne.

The 5th Avenue Theatre is one of America's leading musical theater companies. We enrich the community we love with the art form we love-giving the Pacific Northwest a front-row seat to original powerhouse productions that go on to light up marquees and audiences all the way to Broadway. From the page to the stage, we bring passion and epic scale to every musical we create. With big talent. Bigger-than-life productions. And did we mention dazzle? As a nonprofit theatre company and our region's largest performing arts employer, we spread the joy of great musicals with people of all ages across our region and state. Each year, we reach more than 75,000 young people through our nationally acclaimed education programs. Programs designed to develop new musicals ensure that the next generation of great musicals will be there to tell the stories that captivate tomorrow's audiences. On the national stage, we are a leading voice for the power of this American art form to lift the human spirit.

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