For an actor who often plays princesses, a front tooth is an essential prop
Aid recipient: Lindsay Fuller has appeared in many local productions including Cinderella in Town Hall Arts Center’s “Disenchanted” and in the Arvada Center’s children’s productions of “The Velveteen Rabbit” and “Ella Enchanted.” Other prominent roles have included Penny in Breckenridge Backstage Theatre’s “Hairspray” and Brenda Strong in the Aurora Fox’s “Catch Me if You Can.” Other local credits include the Springer Opera House, burlesque at the Clocktower Cabaret and singing with The Denver Dolls.
Her medical story: Lindsay’s choppers have been put through the ringer – twice (!), starting with a dental emergency that took out her front tooth at the end of 2016. That problem was initially repaired by her own dentist, and The Denver Actors Fund helped pay for it. But in late 2019, the repair failed – a half-hour before a two-show day for “Ella Enchanted.” This time, we were able to send Lindsay to our partnering dentist, Dr. Brian Kelly DDS, who accepts a limited number of emergency cases each year as his personal, in-kind donation to The DAF through the Dental Center at Thornton Plaza. (Brian is himself a former Broadway dancer!)
Wait, wait, don’t say it! Last month, Lindsay I took a nasty spill in the mountains tht not only knocked her out, it broke both her front tooth (again!) and the one next to it.
How we have helped: From the beginning, we have been committed to helping to restore Fuller’s smile in a way that better befits her often princess-worthy roles. In summary, The DAF has paid $1,940 in direct dental expenses. Dr. Kelly’s service constitutes an in-kind donation of $4,219, the market value of his services. We’ve also provided Lindsay with stipends from both of our COVID-19 emergency response initiatives, the DEAR Fund and the KINDNESS Fund. Combined, The Denver Actors Fund now has provided Lindsay with $7,954 in overall support.
A message from Lindsay: “Words can’t express how grateful I am for Dr. Kelly and The Denver Actors Fund helping me get my smile back in order after my bike tumble. Without their help, I don’t know how I would have been able to cover the financial costs. Dr. Kelly squeezed me in for an emergency dental visit within a couple hours of my first injury, and he had me laughing and smiling from ear-to-ear the entire time – despite my missing front tooth. I don’t have close to enough thank you’s. The DAF and their partners are a true gift to our community.”
Read testimonials from other Denver Actors Fund beneficiaries here
The Denver Actors Fund has now made $780,000 available to Colorado theatre artists.
Note: At The Denver Actors Fund, anonymity of aid recipients is presumed and fully protected, unless and until the recipient chooses to have their story told.
INTRODUCING THE KINDNESS FUND:
The Denver Actors Fund has launched an innovative new emergency COVID relief fund – with a fun, humanitarian twist. The $70,000 KINDNESS Fund provides $250 monthly stipends to qualified Colorado theatre artists whose livelihoods have been impacted by the pandemic … when they perform a basic act of socially distanced kindness. Applications are being taken here.
ABOUT THE DENVER ACTORS FUND:
The Denver Actors Fund is a source of immediate, situational relief when members of the local theater community find themselves in medical need. In addition to $780,000 in financial relief, a team of more than 60 Denver Actors Fund volunteers have offered good neighborly assistance to more than 100 beneficiaries including meal prep and delivery, child care, transportation, errands, construction, pet-sitting and more. For more information, visit our web site at DenverActorsFund.Org.
HOW TO APPLY FOR AID:
To apply for Denver Actors Fund aid: Fill out this brief online form
NEW: AFFORDABLE MENTAL HEALTH CARE
The Denver Actors Fund has announced a major new collaboration with the Maria Droste Counseling Center of Colorado to provide affordable, professional health care to any qualifying Colorado theatre artist who needs it. Click here for information
GET INSTANT, FREE MEDICAL ADVICE: The Denver Actors Fund has launch of a major new FREE medical service for qualified Colorado theatre artists: We are partnering with Hippo Health to provide access to emergency medical evaluations via video conferencing with a Board-certified physician. Click to read more about this wonderful, innovative new partnership that will further improve the lives of artists!
MORE WAYS TO HELP:
DONATE ONLINE:
Go to our online giving site at: ColoradoGives.Org
DONATE BY MAIL:
Send checks made out to The Denver Actors Fund to:
P.O. Box 11182
Denver, CO 80211
VOLUNTEER:
Ever thought about taking a more active role in The Denver Actors Fund? Click here for more information
SHOP AT KING SOOPERS
Sign up for King Soopers’ Community Rewards Program and raise money for The DAF just by shopping for your groceries – and it doesn’t cost you an extra penny. It’s like the Amazon Smile Program. To sign up, simply go here and designate The DAF as your preferred non-profit. Each quarter, King Soopers sends us a donation based on how much our supporters have spent. Thanks to all of you who are shopping for The DAF.
SHOP AMAZONSMILE
When you shop on Amazon, there is a simple and automatic way for you to support The Denver Actors Fund, at no cost to you. Simply click on the “Get Started” button to the left. Once you sign up with The Denver Actors Fund as your preferred charity, Amazon will donate 0.5 percent the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases. When you shop AmazonSmile instead of the regular Amazon, it’s still Amazon. You will find the exact same prices, selection and shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a potion of your proceeds to The Denver Actors Fund. The gift to us is not added to your bill. It comes from Amazon. Questions? Here’s more info.
COME TO (OR STREAM!) THE EVENTS THAT SUPPORT US:
AVAILABLE NOW: This year “Miscast,” the major annual fundraiser for The Denver Actors Fund, pivoted to “CAST 2020,” a professionally produced on-demand video concert featuring Colorado theatre artists performing in roles they WERE cast to play before the coronavirus shut down their shows. “CAST 2020” includes nearly a dozen showstopping songs by an all-star lineup of Colorado theatre performers:
- Rebecca Myers, Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center’s ‘The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee’
- Lisa Kay Carter and Seth Dhonou, Arvada Center’s ‘Something Rotten’
- Kalyn Heffernan of Wheelchair Sports Camp with Michelle Rocqet, Phamaly Theatre Company’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’
- Scott Hurst, Candlelight Dinner Playhouse’s ‘Curtains’
- Mary Louise Lee, Vintage Theatre’s ‘Gypsy’
- McKayla Marso, BDT Stage’s ‘The Sound of Music’
- Cal Meakins, Forge Light Theatreworks’ ‘Bare: The Musical’
- Keith Hershman and Jessie Oblazny, Magic Moments’ ‘Take the High Road’
- Mercedes Perez, Lake Dillon Theatre’s ‘Man of La Mancha’
- Jenna Moll Reyes, Aurora Fox’s ‘Freaky Friday’
- Camryn Torres, Miners Alley Playhouse’s ‘Once on This Island’
For your donation of at least $20, you will be sent a link to the video within 24 hours. You can then watch the concert at your leisure. Reserve your link today
‘Miscast’ is the major annual fundraiser for The Denver Actors Fund. It produced each year by Robert Michael Sanders and Kenny Moten, with 100 percent of all proceeds going to The DAF. ‘CAST 2020’ was recorded primarily at Focus Event Studios in north Denver and edited by Ray Bailey TV. We are grateful to all of them for making this important event possible, and to you for watching.
ONGOING: “Waiting for Obama,” the audio version of DAF Founder John Moore’s play that was an official selection at the 2016 New York International Fringe Festival, has been released as way of raising funds for The Denver Actors Fund. A Colorado Springs family is convinced that Barack Obama is coming for their guns in the final weeks of his presidency – and they’re right. Featuring Laurence Curry, Drew Horwitz, Chris Kendall, Leslie O’Carroll, Jenna Moll Reyes, Jessica Robblee, Luke Sorge and Mare Trevathan. It was recorded by the staff of Parker Arts at the PACE Center as an in-kind donation to The Denver Actors Fund. Listen for FREE on all major podcasting platforms including Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Podbean. Just by listening, you will be raising revenue for The DAF! Or, WATCH the recording as a pay-per-view video for $9.95 on Broadway on Demand. ‘Waiting for Obama’ was recorded by the staff of Parker Arts at the PACE Center and edited by Ray Bailey TV as in-kind donations to The Denver Actors Fund. The actors also donated their services.
ONGOING: “Quarantine Week by Weak” is a new photographic coffee-table book by Susannah McLeod and her wife, Chloe McLeod, who chronicled their home life during the COVID19 shutdown with a lighthearteded photo series documenting their lives during quarantine. They produced more than 35 sets of humorous photos comparing the beginning of quarantine to later in the “stay-at-home” period. Susannah pulled out her camera and we started to play,” said Chloe McLeod. As popularity for the series grew on Instagram and after a feature in Westword, the couple started exploring options to publish the series as a book to benefit The Denver Actors Fund. To order, visit mcleod9creative.com. This project is generously sponsored by The Albritton Family; Natalie Bowen and Jim Corbett; Dave Dyer; Julie Dyer; and Denise Gentilini and Lynette Prisner. Additional support provided by Angie Flachman and Sandy Birkey at The Publishing House and Sandra Lee Stuart.
VISIT OUR ONLINE MERCH STORE:
Click here to see how you can buy DAF products such as T-shirts, key chains, puzzles and much more.
