A CHRISTMAS CAROL Company Selects D.C.'s Bright Beginnings As Recipient Of 2019 Donation Drive

Ford's Theatre Society announced that the company of the 2019 production of A Christmas Carol has selected D.C.'s Bright Beginnings as recipient of this year's donation drive inspired by the themes of charity in Dickens's holiday classic. During the curtain calls for performances, the company of A Christmas Carol will collect monetary donations on behalf of the Washington-based non-profit. Patrons may also make donations through the Ford's Theatre Box Office. All donation checks should be made payable to "Bright Beginnings."

Bright Beginnings operates early childhood and family learning centers for children and families experiencing homelessness in Washington, D.C. For more than 29 years, they have helped thousands of children and their families experiencing homelessness achieve self-sufficiency. Their centers offer full-day, year-round, developmentally appropriate early childhood education services for children birth to five at no cost to their families.

A Christmas Carol plays at Ford's Theatre from November 21, 2019 through January 1, 2020. Performance tickets are available for sale at www.fords.org.

Since 2009 and in the spirit of giving and charity expressed in Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, Ford's audiences, cast, crew and staff have collected more than $836,000 for local charities, including Homeless Children's Playtime Project, Food & Friends, N Street Village, Bread for the City, Covenant House Washington, Martha's Table, Miriam's Kitchen, So Others Might Eat (SOME), Thrive DC and House of Ruth. Funds directly help these organizations sustain the thousands within the D.C.-area who struggle with issues of hunger, mental health, illness and homelessness.

"Each gift made in support of Bright Beginnings provides young children experiencing homelessness with a safe and nurturing learning environment, preparing them to enter kindergarten ready to learn," said Ford's Theatre Director Paul R. Tetreault. "I am thrilled and humbled by the generosity of our audiences and the dedication of the company of A Christmas Carol. Now in its 11th year, this donation effort has raised almost a million dollars on behalf of local non-profits."

"We are so delighted to be this year's beneficiary," said Darin Allen, Bright Beginnings Director of Development and External Affairs. "A Christmas Carol is a timeless work that brings people together of all ages and backgrounds. For 30 years Bright Beginnings has been committed to the elimination of homelessness and intergenerational poverty among the District of Columbia's most vulnerable children and families. The sharing of holiday cheer with family and friends is important to building community. Our goal of ensuring that everyone has a warm meal, a safe place to call home and feels loved are all themes that are present throughout the play as well as in our work at Bright Beginnings."

For more information, visit www.bbidc.org.