Westport Country Playhouse to Host #GivingTuesday Celebration

Westport Country Playhouse invites local nonprofit organizations to attend a celebration in advance of #GivingTuesday, on Monday, November 28, at 1 p.m., at the entrance to The Playhouse lobby.

Entering its fifth year, #GivingTuesday is a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration. Celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday kicks off the charitable season, when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving.

Westport First Selectman James Marpe will be present at The Playhouse celebration to officially proclaim Tuesday, November 29, 2016 as #GivingTuesday in Westport, a day dedicated to philanthropy, volunteerism, and community service. Marpe will encourage Westport citizens to join together to give back to the community in any way that is personally meaningful.

Michael Barker, Westport Country Playhouse managing director, said, "Nonprofits, civic organizations, businesses, and corporations, as well as families and individuals will all come together for #GivingTuesday. The Playhouse is proud to be a leader in this movement to celebrate and encourage more, better, and smarter giving during the holiday season.

"#GivingTuesday provides a framework for people to discover exciting ways to contribute to their community and share their giving story," addEd Barker.

The Playhouse will provide hot cider and cookies at the event.

In 2015, more than 45,000 partners in over 71 countries participated in the #GivingTuesday movement. Through the power of social media, the hashtag was mentioned more than 1.3 million times last year, resulting in milestone trending on Twitter and, most importantly, a substantial increase in donations. For additional information, visit www.givingtuesday.org.

Westport non-profit organizations planning to attend The Playhouse's #GivingTuesday celebration on Mon., Nov., 28, at 1 p.m., may contact Aline O'Connor, Westport Country Playhouse development operations manager, at (203) 227-5137, ext. 138.

The mission of Westport Country Playhouse is to enrich, enlighten, and engage the community through the power of professionally produced theater worth talking about and the welcoming experience of The Playhouse campus. The Playhouse creates this relationship with the community and provides this experience in multiple ways by offering: Live theater experiences of the highest quality, under the artistic direction of Mark Lamos, from June through November; educational and community engagement events and opportunities to further explore issues presented by the work on stage; special performances and programs for students and teachers with extensive curriculum support material; Script in Hand play readings throughout the year to deepen relationships with audiences and artists alike; the renowned Woodward Internship Program training program during the summer months for aspiring theater professionals; Family Festivities presentations from November through April to delight young and old alike and to promote reading through live theater; and the beautiful and historic Playhouse campus open for enjoyment and community events year-round. The value of the Westport Country Playhouse to all it touches is immeasurable.

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