PAWS Fund extends its first paw to a Great Dane with cancer
Aid recipient: Actor, director and choreographer Jessica Hindsley and husband Collin McGann are the parents of an 7-year old Great Dane named Gordon. Jessica has been involved in dozens of Colorado theater productions over the past 20 years, most recently choreographing Town Hall Arts Center’s off-Broadway-bound “In the Trenches” in January. The month before, she won a 2022 True West Award for choreographing the Arvada Center’s ”Beauty and the Beast.” “There is no one I know who is better at storytelling using choreographing than Jessica,” said her frequent directing partner, Kenny Moten, with whom she produces that national (and now Aurora Fox-bound) entertainment called Motones vs. Jerseys. During the pandemic, Hindsley was the co-creator of the Denver Center’s mystery podcast, “The Bright Lights of Denver.” Her credits also include BDT Stage, The Candlelight Dinner Playhouse, Vilar Center, Lincoln Center and Red Rocks Amphitheatre. She earned a degree in acting and directing from the University of New Mexico before moving to Denver. Jessica also runs a production company called Ophelia Rose Productions and an online resale business called The Rhinestone Exchange.
Their medical story: “I came home after rehearsal one night to find that our big guy had demolished a plastic puzzle toy and was bleeding from the mouth. I assumed he just had Captain Crunch gnarled his mouth, and my biggest concern was an infection in the open spots – so I made a vet appointment. I was wrong. We were immediately referred to a specialty oncologist, and our cancer journey began. The toy incident had aggravated a tumor that would have claimed Gordon within six months had it gone undiagnosed. In early March, Gordon had 38% of his lower jaw removed. Yes, his tongue hangs out now and yes, it’s totally derpy and adorable. But the margins looked good, surgery went well and we started recovery. But then, the night before his final surgical checkup, we noticed that a lump on his hip that we thought was a fatty tumor had gotten very hard. Tests revealed it to be a second, totally unrelated cancerous tumor on his back hip, and another surgery scheduled. The good news is that, after his second surgery, we have been told that Gordon is cancer-free. But the tricky thing with vet care is that unless you have insurance, you either pay for surgical care right then or you’re faced with impossible decisions. All told, we have taken out a line of credit for nearly $15,000. But I would do it again in a heartbeat because there is no price on family. But the significant financial strain is real.”
How we helped: The Denver Actors Fund Board unanimously approved a grant $3,000, the most currently allowed under the new PAWS Fund, to help pay down the couple’s $15,000 obligation.
‘The tricky thing with vet care is that unless you have insurance, you either pay for surgical care right then … or you are faced with impossible decisions.‘
A message from Jessica: “This is a huge financial relief. I am overwhelmed and grateful. This dog is my family. I can’t even imagine having to make the choice between his health and his life, but that’s what happens when you face these medical emergencies. If this had happened to my family a year ago, we would have faced some very difficult decisions. But there is no price you can put on a family member’s care. It can be hard to ask for help, but it was easier for me to ask for help for my dog than it was for myself. It is really spectacular to be supported by your community, and I think our theater community is special. I think it is a very tight-knit group of people who genuinely care about each other and our well-being.”
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 on- and off-stage with sudden veterinary medical expenses. It is launching with $35,000 in seed money. If we get ongoing, designated donors to the PAWS Fund, it will grow and continue indefinitely. If not, it will expire when the initial $35,000 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 guide. 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.
Read testimonials from other Denver Actors Fund beneficiaries here, or click on a recent name below:
PETER TRINH: $2,908
KENT SUGG, $8,413
LYNNE HASTINGS: $1,309
BRITTNI AND LAVOUR ADDISON: $13,361
The Denver Actors Fund has now made $1,150,000 available to more than 540 Colorado theater artists. Read testimonials from other Denver Actors Fund beneficiaries here
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 receives the Colorado Theatre Guild’s 2016 Community Impact Award.
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 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
If your donation is to the Denver Actors Fund’s new PAWS Fund, please write that in your check’s guide.
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:
SATURDAY, MAY 6: Dr. Brian Kelly not only has been ranked among 5280 Magazine’s top Denver dentists every year since 2007, he’s made more than $150,000 in free dental care available to Colorado stage artists since 2017 as the Denver Actors Fund’s partnering dentist. AND he just stepped back onto a stage for the first time in 17 years as Benny Van Buren, manager of the Senators, in the Arvada Center’s “Damn Yankees.” Van Buren provides a lot of the comedy in the piece, and provides one of the four parts of harmony on the classic showtune “(You Gotta Have) Heart.” As our favorite DAF ambassador, we are partnering with the kind folks at the Arvada Center to take audience collections after Saturday’s 2 p.m. matinee performance. Brian will do a post-show curtain speech and ask those attending to consider making cash donations on the way out. 2 p.m. performance at 6901 Wadsworth Blvd. Tickets at arvadacenter.org.
MONDAY, MAY 8: 11 Minutes Theatre Company is staging “Elizabeth Rex” as a DAF benefit. It’s a funny and provocative drama about a group of Shakepeare’s actors, including Shakespeare himself, as they duel and banter with each and Queen Elizabeth. 7:30 p.m. at The People’s Building, 9995 E. Colfax Ave. Info at 11minutestheatre.com.
MONDAY, MAY 15: Cherry Creek Theater is designating its Industry Night performance of local playwright Jeffrey Neuman’s “The Headliners” as a DAF benefit. “The Headliners,” a play with live music, tells the true story of two vaudevillians who thumbed their noses at gender norms by publicly announcing their engagement while wearing gender-reversed attire – In 1908. “Eva Tanguay and Julian Eltinge were two of the most famous people in America, if not the world,” Neuman said. She was the Lady Gaga of the day; he was the world’s foremost female impersonator. And there is a reason you have never heard of them. 7:30 p.m. in the Pluss Theatre at the JCC Mizel Center for Art and Culture, 350 S. Dahlia St. Information at cherrycreektheater.org.
THROUGH JUNE 25: This just in! During its entire run of “Cats,” The Candlelight will be collecting once again for the Denver Actors Fund at ALL performances. Incredible! 4747 Marketplace Dr. in Johnstown. Tickets at 970-744-3747 or coloradocandlelight.com.
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.
