Ringgold High Performing Arts announces inaugural ‘Center Stage’ charity initiative

Children’s Hospital at Erlanger will be first recipient from special performance

Stemming from last year’s encore performance of “Catch Me If You Can,” when the Ringgold High School Performing Arts program raised nearly $30,000 for Save the Children’s Ukraine Relief Effort, RHSPA announces the “Center Stage Initiative,” where each season the program will select one area charity to receive funds from a dedicated performance.

The inaugural Center Stage recipient will be Children’s Hospital at Erlanger, when RHSPA performs the musical “Newsies” on Saturday, Feb. 25. Erlanger has asked to earmark all funds raised that night for the oncology department. Each member of the cast and crew will perform their role in honor of a child, currently in Erlanger oncology care.

“Last year, one of our cast members brought up the idea of helping kids in the Ukraine, and everyone immediately loved the idea,” said RHSPA theater director Jané Ellis. “This year, our students decided that we should make this happen annually, and we’re excited that Children’s Hospital at Erlanger will take center stage as our inaugural charity. This is the finest example of kids helping kids.”

“We are absolutely thrilled to be the inaugural recipient of RHSPA’S Center Stage initiative,” said Charles

Woods, chief executive officer at Children’s Hospital at Erlanger. “It’s tremendous that these high school performers will take the stage to benefit our kids. Bravo, RHSPA!”

To kick off the Center Stage Initiative, cast members from the one-act fall production of “Mary Poppins” delivered kite kits that were distributed to hospitalized patients at Children’s Hospital at Erlanger. The children were able to color the kites and decorate their rooms and then take the kites home with them. Each kite kit included a special note from a cast member.

“Seeing first-hand what the very talented members of RHSPA accomplished for Save The Children’s Ukraine

Relief Effort with a special encore performance of ‘Catch Me If You Can,’ I’m delighted to know that the new Center Stage Initiative was established in part because of that,” said Frank Abagnale, subject of “Catch Me If You Can” who surprised the cast by attending the encore performance and making a very generous $10,000 donation for the kids of Ukraine. “This program has made it a mission to give back to local charities through Center Stage, and it just goes to show you how special it is that these kids want to use their talents to help area children in need. This really says a lot about the character of both the students and directors of RHSPA.”