ArtsPower Receives $10,000 Grant from Enterprise Holdings Foundation

Enterprise Holdings Foundation has awarded ArtsPower National Touring Theatre a $10,000 grant to present its professional theatre performances to underserved elementary and middle school students in three areas around the tri-state area. Enterprise and its employees have a long-standing tradition of giving back to the community. Each year that tradition grows through new community-based initiatives made possible by the Enterprise Holdings Foundation, which has given back more than $200 million since its inception in 1982.

"We are proud to fund ArtsPower because of its commitment to improve the lives of young people with compelling, literature-based theatre." said Carole Lakin, group multi-cultural relations manager of Enterprise Rent-A-Car's New York operation. "We have funded ArtsPower since 2002 and are particularly excited about this year's grant because it will fund performances in Harlem as well as in areas of New York and New Jersey that are still dealing with the devastating effects of 'Super Storm Sandy'."

Later this spring, ArtsPower will present its productions of My Heart in a Suitcase, The Little Engine That Could Earns Her Whistle, and The Rainbow Fish in schools in Harlem, Ocean County, New Jersey, and on the southern shore of Queens, New York.

More than 3,500 children and their teachers and parents will see an ArtsPower performance and participate in a question and answer session with the casts after each performance. Study Buddy educational guides are distributed to teachers in order to help them integrate the subject matter and themes of each production into their classroom instruction.

"We create and present these professional theatre performances to motivate children throughout the nation to appreciate reading and the theatre," said Mark Blackman, founding co-director of ArtsPower National Touring Theatre. "We are very excited to partner with Enterprise because its leadership knows how good theatre encourages young people to be more compassionate and understanding of others as we also ignite their desire to read."

Founded in 1985 by Mark Blackman of Montclair and his twin brother Gary of Glen Ridge, ArtsPower National Touring Theatre is one of America's preeminent professional theatres for young and family audiences. Based in Verona, New Jersey, ArtsPower tours 10 different, literature-based musicals and dramas annually in hundreds of regional theatres, performing arts centers, university auditoriums, and schools throughout New Jersey and 47 other states for more than 400,000 young people and adults.

Members of ArtsPower's Board of Trustees include Montclair residents Jodi Nussbaum, Mindy Propper, and Dominique Gerard. For more information about ArtsPower, call 973 239-0100 or visit the organization's website at www.artspower.org.

Founded in 1957 and known for an extensive network of home-city and airport locations, everyday low rates and outstanding customer ervice, Enterprise Rent-A-Car is an internationally recognized brand that has been named to BusinessWeek magazine's annual list of "Customer Service Champs" in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010. Enterprise operates more than twice as many locations as its nearest U.S. competitor and continues to lead the home-city market. Enterprise Rent-A-Car operates not only as a key provider for insurance replacement, weekend getaways and special occasions, but also as a local transportation alternative.

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