PRINCE GEORGE – With much pomp and ceremony, Miracle Theatre has announced its newest recipient of funds from its annual play. Well in this case, plays. Yup, you heard it. Two of them. It’s in honour of the organization’s anniversary in Prince George. This year, the recipient is the Council of Seniors.
Here’s the plan:
“Create an endowment with the Prince George Community Foundation to declare it as the Prince George Seniors Emergency Fund,” explains Ted Price, Director for Miracle Theatre. “And mandate that all the investment and interest earnings from the Endowment Emergency Fund shall each and every year be forwarded to the Council of Seniors to aid the elderly of Prince George, who are in precarious circumstances.’
There have been a number of beneficiaries of Miracle Theatres’ generosity. Some of the recipients include the Salvation Army at just over $40,000, the United Way at just over $50,000 and, most recently, wildfire fighting equipment for a Wildfire Structural Protection Unit at $180,000.
That is over $850,000 to date and, so, the goal this year, is to top the million-dollar mark. And the choice for this year’s recipient – the Council of Seniors – has a back story. One after the other, stories of seniors facing hardship.
“95-year-old James Cullina was evicted from Sunnyside Manor, Independent Living residence for seniors,” says Price. “James had exhausted his life savings and used up loans of $25,000. He was evicted on September 30 and dropped off at the emergency department.”
And another.
“She couldn’t manage any longer. She got evicted. So she went to the shelter. No room. The shelter put her onto a couple of other agencies. She went to this one agency and they said, ‘We think we can help you.’ Well, sort of. They gave her a tent.”
There will be two plays this year. The first is Lunenburg and the second is Here on the Flight Path, both by renowned Canadian playwright Norm Foster.
