Mayor’s Scholarship Fundraiser set for March 23
Ticket sales are heating up for the Cape Coral Mayor’s Scholarship Fund’s theater night production of the Broadway hit musical “Hairspray” at Cultural Park Theater on March 23.
“It’s a great evening for a great cause,” said event co-chair Lenora Marshall.
The night begins with cocktails at 5:15 p.m. in the Art League Building next to the theater. Dinner is served at 5:30 followed by theater seating at 6:45 and the “Hairspray” performance at 7 p.m.
“Ticket sales are typical for this time of year without any public announcement,” said Scholarship Fund board member Steve Riggs. “It’s consistent with the last two years.”
Tickets are $30 each and include the dinner, the play, drinks and the raffle. Tickets are available on the fund’s Facebook page, by calling Tom McNulty 239-540-3445 or from any Scholarship Fund board member.
Following the dinner catered by local restaurants, with high school student volunteers helping as servers, is a chance for attendees to bid on auction and raffle prizes donated by area businesses.
Prizes include 19 different ticket packages to Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins Spring Training games provided by the Lee County Sports Authority; a stay at the Westin Resort; Norman Love Chocolate items; tickets to Barbara B. Mann, Broadway Palm Dinner Theater and Gulf Coast Symphony; foursomes at Palmetto Pine Country Club and Coral Oaks Golf Club; an array of gift cards; jewelry from Diamonds by Diane; and two original paintings.
“Theater night is an important event for us,” said Riggs. “It is a major source of funds. It’s a major community participatory event, but it also is a great collective effort throughout Lee County.”
Over the past 34 years, the Mayor’s Scholarship Fund has distributed nearly $700,000 in scholarships. Last year, the fund awarded a record 27 high school graduates with $1,500 scholarships. They are given out at the annual awards banquet at Palmetto Pines Country Club, this year to be held on April 27.
It has been the mission of the organization to hand out as many scholarships as possible each year.
“We are on track with previous years and hope to increase the number again this year,” said Riggs.
This is the first year “Hairspray” has been the play for theater night. The musical features 1960s-style dance music and rhythm and blues. “Hairspray” made more than 2,500 performances on Broadway from August 2002 until it closed in January 2009.
Besides fundraisers, the Scholarship Fund received donations from corporate and private benefactors and at the awards banquet. Any legal Cape Coral resident high school senior can apply for a scholarship to continue their education at an accredited vocational institute, trade school, two-or four-year college or university. The deadline for applying for a 2017 scholarship was Feb. 10.
For more information about applying next year visit www.capecoralmayorscholarship.com