Denver Actors Fund and Dr. Brian Kelly help celebrated local actor through a dental odyssey
About Billie McBride: Billie McBride won the Colorado Theatre Guild’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014, and was named the True West Awards’ 2016 Colorado Theatre Person of the Year after she acted in or directed 10 plays for 10 different theatre companies from Fort Collins to Dillon to Colorado Springs. She’s currently co-starring in the regional premiere of “The Treasurer,” through August 7 at Miners Alley Playhouse in Golden. She is also directing the Town Hall Arts Center’s upcoming production of “The Fantasticks,” opening September 17. 
Recent productions include “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” for the Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company, “Life Sucks” at the Aurora Fox, “Sunday in the Park with George” at the Arvada Center and “Enchanted April” with the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center. She’s also performed at the Denver Center, Curious Theatre, And Toto Too, Lake Dillon Theatre Company and many more. She is a member of the acting ensemble for the newly renamed BETC: Butterfly Effect Theatre of Colorado. Her New York credits include “Torch Song Trilogy” and “Safe Sex.” And she has also been an ongoing and steadfast supporter of The Denver Actors Fund since the start.
Her medical story: Early last year, Billie was told she was going to need to have the sinus on the right side of her face surgically lifted, bone-grafting done and then two implants. And after all that … a bridge!
How we have helped: The Denver Actors Fund has a partnering dentist in Dr. Brian Kelly DDS, who accepts a limited number of emergency cases each year as his personal, in-kind donation to The DAF (along with his kind associates at the Dental Center at Thornton Plaza). Dr. Kelly took on much of Billie’s case, providing the equivalent of $7,689 in free care. The Denver Actors Fund paid an additional $1,383 for a third-party lab fee, bringing our overall support for Billie to $9,072. But get this: That doesn’t even count the surgery itself, which was performed by a different doctor and came to another nearly $10,000 – which Billie paid for herself from savings. That set her back, but it without The DAF, the entire ordeal would have cost her nearly $20,000.
‘I WILL BE ETERNALLY GRATEFUL TO DR. KELLY AND THE DENVER ACTORS FUND’
A message from Billie: “When I found out what I was going to need, I began saving money wherever I could, but I knew I was in for a very expensive procedure. Then COVID hit, my work dried up – and along came The Denver Actors Fund and Dr. Brian Kelly. I paid for the surgery, but the next part was taken care of by The DAF. I will be eternally grateful to Dr. Kelly and The Denver Actors Fund.”
How you can help us help us help more Colorado theatre artists: The Denver Actors Fund has sent out more than $145,000 in artist assistance in 2021 alone. But because of the ongoing difficulty raising funds during a pandemic, we have brought in less than half of that back in from donations. If you would like to make a donation to help The Denver Actors Fund replenish, simply mail checks in any amount made out to Denver Actors Fund to P.O. Box 11182, Denver, CO 80211. Or use this donation link, with our humble thanks.
Read testimonials from other Denver Actors Fund beneficiaries here
The Denver Actors Fund has now made $834,000 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.
THE KINDNESS FUND CONTINUES THROUGH AUGUST 31:
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 through August 31.
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 $834,000 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:
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.
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.
