Denver Actors Fund joins in young mother’s breast-cancer fight
Qualifying financial-aid recipient: Video editor and Producer Ray Bailey has been creating marketing assets for a wide variety of local arts organizations dating back to at least 2009. Over the past few years, he has become one of the most well-known members of the entire local theater community, mostly for his work creating video trailers and “behind-the-scenes” marketing videos for too many local theaters to count. When the pandemic hit, Ray threw caution to the wind and formed his own company, RayBaileyTV, which now employs several people.
A note on eligibility: To clarify: Ray is not eligible for DAF assistance because of his theater marketing work described above. The DAF Distribution Policy states that a qualified aid recipient “must have worked … in a position actively involved in the artistic creation of a show” for a credible local theater company in the past five years. But over the past few years, Ray has been utilized by several Colorado theater companies in creative capacities – none bigger than when the Butterfly Effect Theatre of Colorado (BETC) conceived “CO2020” as an original “staged film.” More than a documentary, the company hired dozens of local actors to play characters based on interviews with real Coloradans about their pandemic experiences. Ray filmed the entire play and edited it into a film that was by necessity dropped exclusively as a streaming asset. Ray also directed Miners Alley Playhouse’s entire live “Quarantine Cabaret” series, and he recorded and edited at least three MAP plays into streaming offerings, all of which were improved by his creative talents. Additionally, Ray recorded and edited “Waiting for Obama” at the PACE Center into a specific radio play that was made available on streaming platforms including Broadway on Demand. (Full transparency: That play was written by DAF founder John Moore, and because all proceeds were designated as a donation to the DAF, Ray provided all of the editing, including essential sound effects, as his own personal donation to the DAF.) The DAF board unanimously voted that Ray’s creative contributions qualified his family for DAF benefits.
Their medical story: Ray’s wife, Jamie, mother of two their young daughters, was diagnosed with breast cancer in January 2020. She subsequently underwent six surgeries, 16 rounds of chemotherapy and 33 radiation treatments. She is continuing to be treated with a medication that is intended to keep the hormones that were feeding her cancer at bay. All of that bombardment of her body has paid off, though, as Jamie is presently classified as “post-cancer.”
How we have helped: The DAF has helped the Baileys to catch up on the onslaught of medical bills as well as support Jamie’s ongoing medical therapy. To date, the DAF’s overall support for the Bailey family is $6,487. Because Jamie’s case is considered open, the DAF will continue to consider reimbursement of future medical bills related to this case.
‘THANK YOU, DENVER ACTORS FUND, FOR YOUR LOVING, EMOTIONAL AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT DURING SUCH A HARD TIME IN OUR FAMILY’S LIVES.’
A message from Ray Bailey, on behalf of his family: “Being self-employed, finding the best health-care and insurance can be trying … and expensive. If it weren’t for the Denver Actors Fund’s generous and continued support during Jamie’s battle with breast cancer, we wouldn’t have been able to continue treatment without losing a lot. Thank you, DAF, for your loving, emotional and financial support during such a hard time in our family’s lives. You had a hand in saving Jamie’s life, and we are forever grateful!”
How you can help us replenish: If you would like to help us replenish, simply mail checks made out to The Denver Actors Fund to P.O. Box 11182, Denver, CO 80211. Or use this donation link. Your donation will be applied to the DAF’s general fund.
(Note: At the Denver Actors Fund, anonymity of aid recipients is presumed and fully protected, unless and until the recipient chooses to have his or her story told.)
Read more Denver Actors Fund testimonials by clicking here
Official Trailer for Vintage Theatre’s ‘Gypsy’ by RayBaileyTV.
HOW YOU CAN HELP US REPLENISH:
To DONATE the Denver Actors Fund, please CLICK HERE (with our humble thanks)
ABOUT THE DENVER ACTORS FUND:
Video above: The Denver Actors Fund receives the Colorado Theatre Guild’s 2016 Community Impact Award.
The Denver Actors Fund is a modest source of immediate, situational relief when members of the local theater community find themselves in medical need. To date, the Fund has allocated more than $980,000 to artists facing medical need. In addition to financial relief, a team of more than 100 Denver Actors Fund volunteers offers good neighborly assistance 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 here
MORE WAYS TO HELP:
DONATE BY MAIL:
Send checks made out to the Denver Actors Fund to:
P.O. Box 11182
Denver, CO 80211
SUPPORT 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.
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 light-hearteded 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.
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