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Media Release
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For Immediate Release: September 22, 2009
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TORONTO - The Actors' Fund of Canada is pleased to announce the addition of two members to its Board of Directors: award-winning comedian Colin Mochrie and the Honourable Sarmite D. Bulte P.C.
Colin Mochrie has been a fixture on the Canadian circuit for decades with a career that includes writing, producing and appearing in some of Canada's most acclaimed comedy shows, including This Hour has 22 Minutes and Getting Along Famously. His work has earned him two Canadian Comedy Awards, a Writers Guild of Canada Award and a Gemini, as well as a place in the canon of Canadian comedians. Mochrie has been a strong supporter of the Fund for years, noting the important impact it has had on so many careers, his own included. "As somebody whom the Fund has helped on multiple occasions, I'm excited to be in a position to return the favour. We all know that this can be a difficult business; without the support of the Actors' Fund many of us would have to leave the field instead of continuing to work in culture. As somebody no longer in a precarious situation I want to give back to the organization and ensure artists are able to continue with their chosen career."
The Honourable Sarmite D. Bulte P.C. was elected to the House of Commons in 1997 where she served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage as well as acting as the Chair of the Prime Minister's Taskforce on Women Entrepreneurs. More recently she has acted as an international consultant, advising on public policy, advocacy and governmental relations with a focus on female entrepreneurs. She has chaired the Artscape Foundation, the Toronto Museum Project and the Canadian Stage Company as well as served on multiple boards including the Women Entrepreneurs of Canada Foundation of which she was a founding member and the Council for Business and the Arts. With her experience and interest in the arts, joining the Actors' Fund Board was an easy decision "The Fund has been supporting Canadians in need for over 50 years and in doing so has supported Canadian culture, allowing it to continue to flourish. I hope to be able to use my background to rally support for this great organization."
Actors' Fund President Barry Flatman expressed his excitement over the new members, saying "To have individuals of this calibre and from such divergent backgrounds serving on the Board of Directors is a huge honour. The level of experience and understanding that our new members bring to the organization is greatly appreciated by all of us on the board and by the larger community whom we serve."
The Actors' Fund of Canada is the lifeline for Canada's entertainment industry. Performers and others who work behind the scenes in film and television, theatre, music and dance can apply for emergency financial aid from the Fund, which recently set a new record for the amount of financial aid delivered to industry members in a single year, topping $600,000 in 2008. The Fund 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 is a registered charity that has paid out over $3.7 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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