Fund Type: Children & Youth
Community: Prince George
Long-time Prince George theatre professionals Ted Price and Anne Laughlin are the founders of Miracle Theatre. The theatre provides the city with annual professional theatre productions while using the proceeds to contribute to the financial welfare of local non-profits.
Following successful productions in 2016, 2017, and 2018 Anne clearly remembers when the Community Foundation reached out. “Having just closed our third production, Noreen Rustad contacted us and wrote, ‘If you are interested in doing all this hard work again next year I wonder if you would like to consider creating an endowment in the Prince George Community Foundation with the funds raised. That way the income generated keeps giving year after year.’ With a strong belief in the value of endowments and having created an endowment for Theatre North West with the Foundation some 12 years earlier, Anne and Ted were happy to meet.
Following a May meeting with Noreen and President of the Foundation Al LeFebvre a decision was made to donate the next play to create a new endowment for the community. Ted remembers how well it all went. “Our good opinion of the Foundation predisposed us to saying yes. But then what clinched it was how eager they were to learn about our wishes regarding the possible purpose of the endowment.” In short order it was determined that that winter’s production would create The Children of Prince George Fund. Annual interest and investment earnings would be distributed to local organizations assisting children with their most essential needs: food and nutrition, clothing, care, medical equipment, health, literacy, physical and psychological therapy.
That winter Miracle Theatre produced the play Halfway There and launched The Children of Prince George Fund with a donation of $84,036. The response to both the play and the cause was so encouraging that the decision was made to also donate the next play to The Children’s Fund. The goal was to increase the fund by at least another $65,000.
On Valentine’s Day, 2020 Miracle Theatre opened The Birds and The Bees. It was the most successful production to date and the financial goal was easily exceeded. This time the donation to The Children’s Fund was an additional $106,265.
