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BlueCross BlueShield of SC Pledges to
Match Donations to Columbia City Ballet
In
response to Columbia City Ballet’s funding challenges, BlueCross
BlueShield of South Carolina has come forward and pledged to match all
contributions to Columbia City Ballet from today to October 26, when
the curtain rises on Frankenstein at the Koger Center.
“This
is really the angel the Board of Directors and I were looking for,”
says William Starrett, executive and artistic director. “It’s
corporations like BlueCross BlueShield and leaders like Will Shrader,
Donna Thorne and Ed Sellers that have kept me committed to this
community for the last 20 years. BlueCross has stuck with this
organization through the good times and the bad, and this is the kind
of motivational gift that can mobilize a community and be an example
and inspiration for similar arts groups throughout the country. We
cannot begin to express our gratitude for their generosity.”
Recent
requests to the City of Columbia by the Ballet for emergency financial
aid have brought attention to the fact that serious support is needed
to make sure that Frankenstein makes it to the stage. Columbia City Ballet is facing a $300,000 debt as a result of fundraising shortfalls surrounding Off the Wall & Onto the Stage: Dancing the Art of Jonathan Green, the $1.2 million production that premiered in February 2005 and gained national attention from publications such as The New York Times and Southern Living.
BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, celebrating its 60th
anniversary this year, saw a way to help the Ballet and came forward
with the matching offer.
“One of the gauges of a community is
its quality of life, including the cultural arts, says Donna Thorne,
chief of public relations for BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina.
“BlueCross has been a part of South Carolina and the Midlands for 60
years. This is our anniversary gift to the people of Columbia who have
supported us over six decades. Good corporate citizenship has always
been a part of our culture at BlueCross. Giving back is a privilege.”
There
are several different ways to give – contributing to the Pointe Shoe
Fund, purchasing a contributor level membership, adopting a dancer, or
simply making a donation. Every contribution made before October 26
will be matched by BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina.
Contributions can be made by mail to PO Box 11898, Columbia, SC 29211,
by phone at (803) 799-7605, or online at www.columbiacityballet.com/contribute.
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