After kitty comes back from the brink, audio engineer says: ‘I really hope we can keep the PAWS Fund going!’
Who we helped: Loveland native Meagan Holdeman is an audio engineer at the Denver Center for Performing Arts and the founder of Greener Theatre Colorado, an organization to mobilize the Colorado theater community toward climate-positive practices. Most recently, she worked on the DCPA Theatre Company’s “The Color Purple,” and she worked the Colorado Theatre Guild’s Henry Awards ceremony. She’s worked all over town since the beginning of her career, and she considers adopting her kitty, O’Malley, as the best decision she has ever made. In 2021, she hosted a performance called “A Future We Create” at the Town Hall Arts Center to create support for a greener theater movement in Colorado, and to raise money for The Denver Actors Fund
Her medical story: Meagan’s kitty, O’Malley, was diagnosed with a normally fatal disease called FIP on March 25, resulting in a two-day hospital stay. But O’Malley responded well to treatment and, while he isn’t out of the woods, Meagan thinks he might make it through this. Meagan had no choice but to put more than $3,500 in medical bills on a Care Credit loan card.
How we helped: The Denver Actors Fund Board unanimously approved a $3,000 grant to help Meagan pay down her vet medical expenses, the most allowed in any 12-month period to a PAWS Fund recipient.
‘I JUST CLOSED MY EYES, HANDED THEM A CREDIT CARD AND HOPED IT WOULD BE OK.’
A message from Meagan: “I didn’t care how much it was going to cost to save my kitty’s life. I just closed my eyes, handed them a credit card and hoped it would be OK. I really hope we can keep the PAWS Fund going!”
LOW FUNDING ALERT: THE NEW PAWS FUND HAS BURNED THROUGH ITS ALLOTMENT. DONATE TODAY TO KEEP IT GOING!
What is the PAWS Fund?: The PAWS Fund is a new, separate fund administered by the Denver Actors Fund to help qualified Colorado theater artists (both on- and off-stage) with sudden veterinary medical expenses. It launched in May with $35,000 in seed money, of which $33,128 already has been distributed to qualified applicants. We have also received $2,075 in additional donations, which gives the PAWS Fund a present remaining balance of just $3,947. If designated donations to the PAWS Fund continue to come in, the PAWS Fund will continue. If not, it will expire whenever the balance is gone. If you would like to help us keep it going, simply mail checks in any amount made out to Denver Actors Fund, P.O. Box 11182, Denver, CO 80212, Please write “PAWS Fund” in the memo field. Or use this donation link, with our humble thanks. When you donate online, be sure to use the pull-down menu that gives you the option to specifically designate your donation to the PAWS Fund by choosing “Domestic Animal Medical.” Otherwise, as always, your donation will go to the General Fund and will be reserved for our primary mission, which is paying qualified applicants’ own (human!) medical bills.
Help us to replenish?: The Denver Actors Fund sent out more than $32,000 in medical relief in July alone, while taking in only about $3,600. If you would like to help us replenish so we we can keep helping other Colorado theater artists, simply mail checks in any amount made out to Denver Actors Fund, P.O. Box 11182, Denver, CO 80212. Or use this donation link, with our humble thanks.
Read testimonials from other Denver Actors Fund beneficiaries here, or click on a recent name below:
SEAN SCRUTCHINS AND DEVON JAMES: $1,276
BRITTNI AND LAVOUR ADDISON, $13,361
The Denver Actors Fund has now made $1,290,000 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.
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 presents the memorial video at the Colorado Theatre Guild’s 2023 Henry Awards.
The Denver Actors Fund is a 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 $1,250,000 to more than 560 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
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. 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.
DONATE YOUR CAR
The Denver Actors Fund is now registered to accept vehicle donations, thanks to a new partnership with Vehicles for Charity. You can turn your unwanted but usable vehicle into greatly appreciated funds for The Denver Actors Fund. The process is simple. The DAF will receive 80 percent of auction proceeds, and a receipt for the donation will be sent to you that can be used for tax purposes. Read all about it here.
VOLUNTEER:
Ever thought about taking a more active role in the Denver Actors Fund? Click here for more information
COME TO THE EVENTS THAT SUPPORT US:
MONDAY, AUGUST 28: Please join us for Miners Alley Playhouse’s Industry Night performance of “Avenue Q,” the naughty and nice musical that is part flesh, part felt and packed with heart. Recent college grad Princeton moves into a shabby New York apartment this is not in your ordinary neighborhood. Princeton and his new-found friends struggle to find jobs, dates and their ever-elusive purpose in life. Miners Alley is continuing its groundbreaking, trendsetting commitment to dedicate ALL PROCEEDS from one designated performance of each run to go to the Denver Actors Fund. And on this night only, $51 tickets can be yours for only $20. Since 2014, MAP has generated more than $60,000 in donations to The Denver Actors Fund through evenings just like this one. If you plan to see “Avenue Q,” please consider joining us at 7:30 p.m. on MONDAY, AUGUST 28. Miners Alley Playhouse is located at 1224 Washington Ave., in Golden. Call 303-935-3044 or choose your own seats at minersalley.com. Be sure to choose AUGUST 28. The promo code for $20 tickets is DAFNIGHT.
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.
