Stemming from last year’s encore performance of Catch Me If You Can, when the Ringgold High School Performing Arts program raised nearly $30,000 for Save the Children’s Ukraine Relief Effort, RHSPA announces Center Stage, where each season the program will select one area charity to receive funds from a dedicated performance.
The inaugural Center Stage recipient will be Children’s Hospital at Erlanger, when RHSPA performs the popular musical Newsies on Saturday, March 4, 2023.
“Last year, one of our cast members brought up the idea of helping kids in the Ukraine, and everyone immediately loved the idea,” said RHSPA Theater Director Jané Ellis. “This year, our students decided that we should make this happen annually, and we’re excited that Children’s Hospital at Eranger will take center stage as our inaugural charity. This is the finest example of kids helping kids.”
“We are absolutely thrilled to be the inaugural recipient of RHSPA’s Center Stage initiative,” said Charles Woods, MD, chief executive officer, Children's Hospital at Erlanger. “It’s tremendous that these high school performers will take the stage to benefit our kids. Bravo, RHSPA!”
To kick off the Center Stage program, cast members from the upcoming RHSPA musical Mary Poppins will deliver kite kits to hospitalized patients at Children’s Hospital at Erlanger on Tuesday. The children will be able to color the kites to decorate their rooms and then take home with them. Each kite kit will have a special note from a cast member.
"Seeing first-hand what the very talented members of RHSPA accomplished for Save The Children's Ukraine Relief Effort with a special encore performance of Catch Me If You Can, I'm delighted to know that the new Center Stage initiative was established in part because of that," said Frank Abagnale, subject of Catch Me If You Can who surprised the cast by attending the encore performance and making a very generous $10,000 donation for the kids of Ukraine.
"This program has made it a mission to give back to local charities through Center Stage, and it just goes to show you how special it is that these kids want to use their talents to help area children in need. This really says a lot about the character of both the students and directors of RHSPA."