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Media Release
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For Immediate Release: April 29, 2008

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CALGARY - ACTRA Alberta's 800 members got a bigger stake in the Actors' Fund of Canada today as their Branch Council announced a $1,000 grant to the Canada-wide entertainment industry relief organization in recognition of its 50th year of service.

The Actors' Fund is the lifeline for Canada's entertainment industry and marks its 50th anniversary in 2008. Performers and those working behind the scenes in theatre, film & TV, music and dance can apply for emergency financial aid from the Fund, which has helped over 10,000 entertainment industry workers recover from illness, injury or other circumstances causing severe economic and personal hardship since it was founded in 1958. The Fund recently set a new record for the amount of financial aid delivered to the performing arts community in a single year, topping half a million dollars in the 12-month period that ended on March 31.

Commenting on his branch's support of the Fund, ACTRA Alberta president Duval Lang remarked, "The Actors' Fund offers huge value to the industry relative to its size. Operating out of one small office, it has delivered millions of dollars of aid to members of every sector of the entertainment industry who are located in all parts of Canada. ACTRA Alberta's contribution to the Fund makes the statement that there's always a place for the Actors' Fund's brand of compassion here in our local production community. Over the next year we're looking forward to letting even more of our members know about this important resource."

ACTRA Alberta's support for the Fund comes as very welcome news for Actors' Fund Executive Director David Hope. "ACTRA Alberta's financial contribution to the Fund is an expression of their commitment to the welfare of their membership. It's also evidence of their future-oriented approach, which ties into our 50th anniversary campaign goal of knitting individuals and organizations across Canada together into a network of support for the artists and allied professionals who add so much to the richness of our culture", says Hope.

The Actors' Fund of Canada is a registered charity that has paid out over $3.5 million in rent payments, grocery money, utility payments and other basic living expenses in the last 10 years. Performers, creators, technical staff and other production team members can benefit from the Fund, which receives no government funding and is wholly sustained by support from individuals and entertainment industry organizations.

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CONTACT:

David Hope, The Actors' Fund of Canada
Phone: 1-877-399-8392
E-mail: contact@actorsfund.ca
Web site: www.actorsfund.ca
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©2010 The Actors' Fund of Canada - 1000 Yonge Street, Suite 301 Toronto, ON M4W 2K2
contact@actorsfund.ca / Tel: 416.975.0304 / Toll-Free: 1.877.399.8392 / Fax: 416.975.0306
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