Walt Disney World Cast Member Choir Encore! Raises Record $36K for Local Make-A-Wish
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Taking to the stage for charitable good, the Encore! Cast Choir and Orchestra hit an all-time high recently by raising $36,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central and Northern Florida. The volunteer ensemble of nearly 500 Disney Cast Members put in more than 47,000 hours to produce Dream Our Dreams, A Musical Tribute to the Legacy of Disney. Proceeds from the August 6-8 shows hosted at Epcot World ShowPlace were given to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central and Northern Florida this week.
“We really appreciate everyone who came to see and support our shows and help us collect a substantial gift for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central and Northern Florida,” said Encore! producer Bruce Light. “This $36,000 donation sets a record for us and it wouldn’t have been possible without the support of Walt Disney World Resort, Epcot, and our amazing Encore! Cast who volunteered their time to help us produce our most ambitious show to date.”
Encore! offers Cast Members an outlet for their creativity and a chance to showcase their talents while performing great music for worthy causes. The troupe, founded in 2002, has grown to include 275 singers, 90 instrumentalists, 50 dancers and a production team of 40. At least half of the group has jobs outside of entertainment and aren’t performers by trade. For all involved, it’s a labor of love that truly makes a difference for charities that benefit from it.
“We are thrilled and honored to be receiving such a generous donation from the Encore! Cast Choir and Orchestra,” said Tiffany Durr, development and event specialist for Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central and Northern Florida. “We rely on groups like Encore! and fundraising events to help us achieve our mission of granting wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions in our local community. Through their hard work and passion, Encore! is helping us share the power of a wish and for that we are deeply appreciative and sincerely grateful.”
Since its inception in 2002, Encore! has donated the funds from its ticket sales to local charities, raising more than $150,000 to date. Beneficiaries are determined by group vote; Encore! has chosen the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts as their 2011 beneficiary. Past Encore! beneficiaries include United Arts of Central Florida, SPCA of Central Florida, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and A Gift For Teaching. To learn more, visit www.encorecentral.org.
Photos courtesy of the Walt Disney World Resort.
Categories: Theme Parks, Walt Disney World Tags: Charity, Encore, Human Interest
Walt Disney World Cast Member Choir Encore! Prepares for Make-A-Wish Benefit
Rehearsals are underway for the Encore! Cast Choir and Orchestra’s summer production, Dream Our Dreams, A Musical Tribute to the Legacy of Disney. Known for staging spectacular charity concerts, the volunteer ensemble has chosen Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central & Northern Florida as their 2010 beneficiary.
Encore! offers Cast Members an outlet for their creativity and a chance to showcase their talents while performing great music for worthy causes. The troupe, founded in 2002, has grown to include roughly 330 singers, 100 instrumentalists, 50 dancers and a production team of 40. Encore! producer Bruce Light says at least half of the group has jobs outside of entertainment and aren’t performers by trade. For all involved, it’s a labor of love.
Since its inception, Encore! has donated the funds from its ticket sales to local charities, raising more than $115,000 to date. The group recognized early on that they could do a lot of good by giving back. “We were getting a good amount of money from ticket sales and we didn’t need it,” said Clay Price, Encore! co-founder, artistic director and conductor. “We thought let’s give it to an organization that is going to benefit from this more than us.”
Each year, Encore! determines its beneficiary by group vote; Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central & Northern Florida is the current recipient of their charitable giving. Past recipients include United Arts of Central Florida, SPCA of Central Florida, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and A Gift For Teaching.
Dream Our Dreams is scheduled for Aug. 6 – 8 at Epcot World ShowPlace. Performances are open to the public. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door and available through www.encorecentral.org.
Categories: Theme Parks, Walt Disney World Tags: Charity, Encore, Make-A-Wish
WDW Cast Members’ Encore! Raises Record $35,000 for United Arts
ORLANDO, Fla., July 29, 2009 – Making music for charity’s sake, the Encore! Cast Choir and Orchestra, a volunteer ensemble of nearly 300 Disney Cast Members, struck a high note by raising a record $35,000 for United Arts of Central Florida.
“On behalf of Encore!, we are grateful to everyone who came out to support our concerts and help us raise a record level of funds for United Arts,” said Encore! producer and co-founder Ray Fournier. “We are thrilled to be giving them a $35,000 donation and know it will go to good use in support of many arts organizations in Central Florida who are struggling in these economic times.”
Categories: Theme Parks, Walt Disney World Tags: Charity, Community, Encore, United Arts
Disney Cast Members Perform Charity Concerts for United Arts
ORLANDO, Fla., July 24, 2009 – Hoping to strike solid gold for charity’s sake, the Encore! Cast Choir and Orchestra – a volunteer ensemble of nearly 300 talented Walt Disney World Resort Cast Members – is performing songs by The Beatles, Queen, Elton John and ABBA to support the local arts community.
“Revolution! – A Musical Flashback to the ‘60s and ‘70s,” is a spectacular journey of classic pop and rock songs that is leaving audiences feeling groovy. Tickets for the July 24-25 concerts at Epcot World ShowPlace are still available for sale through www.encorecentral.org and www.UnitedArts.cc. Shows begin at 7:30 p.m.
“The show has a nostalgic pop music feel with some fun and unexpected twists,” says Ray Fournier, Encore! Production Manager. “Please come out to support us in our goal to raise some well-needed funds for Central Florida’s arts community.”
Known for staging amazing charity concerts, Encore! has chosen United Arts of Central Florida as the beneficiary of its performances for the second consecutive year. United Arts is a collaborative partnership of businesses, government, foundations, arts and cultural organizations, school districts, artists and individuals that work to enhance the quality and variety of cultural experiences available in Lake, Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties.
In July 2008, Encore! raised a record $25,940 for United Arts. Since its inception in 2002, Encore! has raised more than $80,000 for local charities.
Categories: Epcot, Theme Parks, Walt Disney World Tags: Encore, Human Interest
Cast Members’ Encore! Cast Choir and Orchestra to Perform Benefit for United Arts at Epcot July 23-25
Encore! Cast Choir and Orchestra – a volunteer ensemble of nearly 300 talented Disney Cast Members – is currently in rehearsals for their next production, “Revolution! – A Musical Flashback to the 60′s and 70′s.” Known for staging spectacular charity concerts, Encore! has chosen United Arts of Central Florida as the beneficiary of their performances for the second year in a row. United Arts is a collaborative partnership of businesses, government, foundations, arts and cultural organizations, school districts, artists and individuals that work to enhance the quality and variety of cultural experiences available in Lake, Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties.
Shows are planned for July 23-25, 2009 at Epcot World ShowPlace. Tickets go on sale June 23 through www.encorecentral.org and www.UnitedArts.cc.
In July 2008, Encore! raised a record $25,940 for United Arts. Since its inception in 2002, Encore! has raised more than $80,000 for local charities.
Categories: Epcot, Theme Parks, Walt Disney World Tags: Benefit, Encore, United Arts
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