BERGEN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER (bergenPAC) 19TH ANNUAL GALA CELEBRATES SUCCESS AND RAISES FUNDS FOR PERFORMING ARTS SCHOOL
(Englewood, N.J. - October 19, 2023) - bergenPAC, New Jersey's premiere Arts Center, recently hosted its highly anticipated annual gala fundraising event featuring a captivating performance by Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. The sold-out event entertained attendees honored outstanding individuals, and recognized the dedication of long-time bergenPAC employees.
The gala served to celebrate bergenPAC's 19th anniversary and highlight its commitment to arts education. The event successfully met its fundraising goal, which will directly support the expansion of bergenPAC's Performing Arts School. With this funding, the school can enhance its special needs arts programs and provide additional scholarship opportunities for underserved students, ensuring that arts education reaches a broader audience.
The gala also provided an opportunity to honor exceptional individuals who have made significant contributions to bergenPAC and the community. Lloyd Rosenberg, AIA, President & CEO of DMR Architects, received The Standing Ovation Award. Rosenberg's visionary leadership and commitment to preserving bergenPAC's historical brilliance while transforming it into a modern state-of-the-art cultural center have been instrumental in the organization's success.
During the pandemic, Liz Corsini, MPH, was presented with The Legends Award for her outstanding partnership with bergenPAC and the Bergen Family Center. Corsini's dedication brought a wide range of essential programs to the community, benefiting individuals of all ages. Her collaboration with bergenPAC's Performing Arts School was crucial in fulfilling the organization's mission of providing arts education to underserved communities during challenging times.
bergenPAC's Board Chair Valerie V. Huttle said, "Proceeds from our annual Gala go toward expanding programs for our Performing Arts School, in underwriting our initiative to make arts education more accessible for all students in the community, while also funding our broader mission. This includes partnerships with New Jersey Public Schools presenting assemblies, arts education collaboration for kids with special needs, and presenting health and wellness initiatives."
The success of bergenPAC's 19th Annual Gala was only possible with the generous support of the community, gala patrons, and gala sponsors. Their commitment to the arts and the community has significantly impacted bergenPAC's ability to provide transformative arts experiences.
For more information about bergenPAC's Performing Arts School and to donate to support their programs, please visit bergenPAC.org.
About Bergen Performing Arts Center (bergenPAC) Founded in 2003, the 1,367-seat Bergen Performing Arts Center, or bergenPAC, is the area's cultural mecca. The theater’s legacy started in 1926 when it opened as the Englewood Plaza movie theater. United Artists purchased the building in 1967 and kept the doors open until 1973. Through the efforts of a group of local citizens under the leadership of John Harms, the John Harms Center came to life in 1976. In 2003, a small group of dedicated individuals led by Frank Huttle III helped preserve this special theater and rechristened it the Bergen Performing Arts Center. The historic Art Deco-style theater boasts one of the finest acoustic halls in the United States, attracting a stellar roster of world-class entertainment. The jewel in our crown is The Performing Arts School at bergenPAC – the innovative, educational performing arts initiative that, through programs, classes, outreach, school shows, and main theater presented shows, reaches more than 30,000 students and community youth annually. The Performing Arts School provides community youth, age 2 months to 21 years, with unique, "hands-on" training in music, dance, and theater by industry professionals. Through the ongoing generosity of sponsors, donors, members, and patrons, the not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) corporation bergenPAC and The Performing Arts School can thrive and enrich our community. Follow bergenPAC on Facebook (facebook.com/#!/bergenpacfan) and @bergenPAC on Instagram and Twitter.
About bergenPAC's Capital Campaign, Invest In The Arts: Bergen Performing Arts Center (bergenPAC) is a theater of and for the community it serves throughout northern New Jersey by leading the way with a creative focus, educational resource, and engine of economic vitality. A nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization, bergenPAC's mission is to make live performing arts and arts education accessible to its diverse community by building an innovative home for artists and teachers of excellence and relevance who entertain, enlighten, inspire, and inform their audiences and students. bergenPAC's Performing Arts School is the areas' leading cultural and arts educational institution in Northern New Jersey, which shall guide and liberate the imagination of our youth and expand the lives of our adults. Invest in the Arts by Taking a Leading Role Supporting the Renovation and Arts Education. For more information, visit www.bergenpac.org. visit www.bergenpac.org or @bergenpac
Photo Caption: bergenPAC’s Dance Students performed on the big stage prior to Franie Valli and The Four Seasons; the event successfully met its fundraising goal, which will directly support the expansion of bergenPAC's Performing Arts School. With this funding, the school can enhance its special needs arts programs and provide additional scholarship opportunities for underserved students, ensuring that arts education reaches a broader audience.
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