CBC-TV's Royal Canadian Air Farce Kicks Off Actors' Fund TV Charity Challenge

The Actors' Fund of Canada announced today that, with a donation of 25% of the proceeds of its February 2009 sale of furniture, wardrobe and props, CBC-TV's Royal Canadian Air Farce has kicked off the 2009 Actors' Fund TV Charity Challenge by raising a total of $10,800 for the Fund. The series wrapped at the end of December, 2008.

The Challenge is an annual fundraising competition between the cast, crew and producers of TV series shooting in Canada that raises money for a cause that benefits the entire film & television community: The Actors' Fund of Canada. Through organizing a variety of on set and/or public fundraising activities productions vie against each other for bragging rights as the show that can have the most fun while raising the most money for the Fund. The 2009 Challenge has three legs: Spring (runs to May 31), Summer (runs to September 30) and Fall (runs to December 31). CBC-TV's Heartland won the 2008 Challenge, raising a total of $11,700.

Actors' Fund of Canada is The Lifeline for Canada's entertainment industry. Performers and others who work behind the scenes in film and television, theatre, music and dance can apply for emergency financial aid from the Fund, which recently set a new record for the amount of financial aid delivered to industry members in a single year, topping $500,000 in 2008. The Fund has helped over 10,000 entertainment industry workers recover from illness, injury or other circumstances causing severe economic and personal hardship since it was founded in 1958.

According to Actors' Fund Executive Director David Hope, Air Farce's contribution to the Challenge is in keeping with the group's past support of the Fund: "The Actors' Fund has certainly benefited from the generosity of individual Air Farce cast members over the years. Now that the series has wrapped, we are delighted - but not entirely surprised - that they have seen the end of the show as yet another opportunity to support the Fund." The Air Farce Productions Inc. donation will be included in the total for the Spring Challenge.

Says Air Farce cast member Roger Abbott: "Our show has had a great run and has enjoyed some success. But we know that there are many other talented members of the Canadian entertainment industry who can't get out there and give their all because they have fallen ill or been injured or otherwise found themselves in financial distress. It's just natural that we would want to give something back to the industry that's been good to us and donating to the Actors' Fund was a perfect way to do it."

The Actors' Fund of Canada is a registered charity that has paid out over $3.7 million in rent payments, grocery money, utility payments and other basic living expenses in the last 10 years. Performers, creators, technical staff and other production team members can benefit from the Fund, which receives no government funding and is wholly sustained by support from individuals and entertainment industry organizations.

For 2009 Actors' Fund TV Charity Challenge information and updates, visit: www.actorsfund.ca/charitychallenge/

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