Woodside drama students raise funds for local & national theatre programs
Posted: December 15, 2020
Drama students at Woodside High School are giving back to the local theater community, an industry that's been greatly affected by the pandemic.
For this year's fundraiser, drama students spanning grades 9 - 12 held a virtual fundraiser that surpassed their $10,000 goal. After covering their own expenses, they donated nearly $2,000 to local theaters and theatre-related charities. Students were in friendly competition with one another to see who could raise the most money. The students reached their goal at 2:30 p.m. on the final day of fundraising, but challenged themselves to keep going-ultimately raising an additional $1,800 before the fundraiser closed at 4:30 p.m.
Sophomore Josh Ward attributes his family's competitiveness to his fundraising success, as he was the top-seller with over $2,800 in gourmet popcorn sold. Josh also added that it "felt good to contribute to something to help people who have been out of work and giving back to a community that I connect with." The most successful students were Josh Ward, Ilaina Miller, Ashley Santiago, Kennedy Byrd and Jaymorle Ingram. All five students gave kudos to teachers Alison Hall and David Kluttz for making the theater feel like a place where they belonged and could be themselves.
Each year, Woodside drama students raise money to support the cost of costumes, set designs and the license to produce and perform a well-known production--think Disney's High School Musical or Oklahoma--with any additional funding sent to the International Thespian Society to help other school theater programs in need. Theatre Arts teachers Alison Hall and David Kluttz began this tradition of giving back a few years ago after several schools in Florida were damaged after hurricane season.
"We are all so excited and happy to be in a position to give to our local theater community this year. Our yearly fundraiser has taken on a bigger meaning and our students can be proud of how they've contributed," said Alison Hall.
Funds were donated to the Virginia Stage Company, the American Shakespeare Center, the Peninsula Community Theatre, the Actors Fund Covid-19 Emergency Relief Fund and the Thespian Relief Fund. Each of the benefactors has expressed their gratitude with thank you notes, or in the case of the American Shakespeare Center, a video giving thanks to the Woodside drama department.
