Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Contributes Almost 200K to the Actors' Fund of Canada

Thanks to the fundraising efforts of the U.S.- based national touring companies of WICKED and THE BOOK OF MORMON, a total of $193,857 has been raised this fall for the Actors' Fund of Canada, the lifeline for Canada's entertainment industry. The money, raised by WICKED and THE BOOK OF MORMON company members as part of U.S.-based Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS fall 2014 fundraising campaign, will help support vulnerable members of the Canadian entertainment industry who are facing injury, illness or other crisis situations.

Funds were raised through audience collections in Toronto and Montreal and the sold-out benefit DON'T STOP BELIEVIN' at Mirvish's Panasonic Theatre on Oct. 27. Since 2003, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA), one of the leading entertainment industry-based AIDS fundraising and grant making organizations in the U.S., has had a unique collaborative fundraising initiative with the Actors' Fund of Canada: when a U.S.-based national tour plays in a Canadian city, money raised by that tour as part of their on-going support for BC/EFA is shared 50/50 with the Actors' Fund of Canada.

With this arrangement, U.S. tours can continue to be a part of BC/EFA's grant making in the States while making sure that resources raised from Canadian audiences assists those in the entertainment industry in Canada. Executive Director of the Actors' Fund of Canada David Hope and Executive Director of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Tom Viola are very pleased at the results of this cross-border collaboration. "It is an honour to share the resources raised from Canadian audiences with Canadian entertainment industry professionals through the work of the Actors' Fund of Canada," said Viola. "Our sincere thanks to Canadian audiences for giving so generously and to the U.S. based company members of WICKED and THE BOOK OF MORMON who pour their heart and soul into fundraising for these great causes every single day."

David Hope, Executive Director of the Actors' Fund of Canada, added "On behalf of everyone at the Actors' Fund of Canada, thank you to BC/EFA, the companies of WICKED and THE BOOK OF MORMON, Mirvish productions who so generously supported the collections and the benefit, crews, venue staff and everyone who has made this joint effort such a success." Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA) is one of the leading industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fundraising and grant-making organizations. By drawing upon the talents, resources and generosity of the American theatre community, since 1988 BC/EFA has raised more than $250 million for essential services for people with AIDS and other critical illnesses across the U.S. BC/EFA annual grants to more than 450 AIDS and family service organizations nationwide and is the major supporter of the social service programs at The Actors Fund, including the HIV/AIDS Initiative, the Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative and the Al Hirschfeld Free Health Clinic.

The Actors' Fund of Canada is a registered charity that provides short-term financial aid to entertainment industry professionals working in theatre, film & TV, music and dance. The Actors' Fund is not just for actors: performers, creators, technical staff and other production team members can apply for help from the Fund which delivered over $500,000 in rent payments, grocery money, utility payments and other basic living expenses to clients in the last year and has helped over 10,000 entertainment industry members since it was founded in 1958.

BroadwayWorld has exclusive photos from the Don't Stop Believin' event below! All photos are by Racheal McCaig. Find her on twitter @RachealMc. Follow Toronto Senior Editor Alan Henry at @alanhenryTO.