In addition to the $7,800.00 an additional $10,000.00 was added to the pot by the two Challenge Grant donations. I. Weiss, Inc. of Long Island City and Sapsis Rigging, Inc. each offered a $5,000.00 Challenge grant for the event, bringing the total amount raised to $17,800.00.

All proceeds from the raffle and the Challenge Grants go directly to The ESTA Foundation's Behind the Scenes program. Behind the Scenes provides financial support to entertainment technology industry professionals when they are seriously ill or injured. The program was created by The ESTA Foundation so industry members could support each other in times of crisis.

Photos available on request.
info@LRLR.org

Two Companies Will Sponsor Challenge Grants During 2007 USITT

February 15, 2007, New York, NY – The ESTA Foundation’s Behind the Scenes announces the first two Challenge Grants during the USITT Annual Conference & Stage Expo. I. Weiss and Sapsis Rigging will both be sponsoring $5,000 challenge grants at the upcoming USITT Raffle, March 15 – 17 in Phoenix, Arizona. Thanks to both companies coming forward after the announcement of the Challenge Grant Program, every dollar donated at this year’s USITT will triple in value.

Established challenge grant slots are still available for the Behind the Scenes / Long Reach Long Riders 2007 USITT Raffle, March 15 – 17 in Phoenix, Arizona at $5,000 each (four openings left) and The Long Reach Long Riders 2007 New England Charity Ride, July 29 – August 6 at $10,000 each (two openings).

David Rosenberg, president of I. Weiss, explains that it was an easy decision for his company. “We believe that we should be supportive of the technicians and production people in our own industry. They are the people that make things happen and unfortunately not all of them have the advantage of being covered by health insurance. I think that The ESTA Foundation’s decision to start Behind the Scenes was a really wonderful idea. It is a way for companies like us to give something back. We are a behind the scenes company and the people who work behind the scenes are part of our team and deserve our support when in need. Also, USITT is where people thinking of making a career in this industry come into contact with companies like ours and we want them to see that there is a responsibility that comes along with getting a job in our industry. They should recognize that part of the responsibility of any working individual or good company is to give back and be supportive of their colleagues.”

Bill Sapsis of Sapsis Rigging, Inc. points out, “The challenge grant program is a perfect fit. It is an extension of what we have been doing all along to support Behind the Scenes. By participating in the program at USITT, we can help raise the awareness level of people that don’t yet have the work experience and have not necessarily heard about the Behind the Scenes program.  USITT is a unique chance for students to learn about what a future in our industry means and that there is an organization available to help those that find themselves in financial difficulty.”

Behind the Scenes provides financial assistance to entertainment technology professionals who are seriously ill or injured. Funds may be used for medical expenses, funeral expenses, or basic living expenses such as mortgage, rent, utilities, food, transportation, and childcare. Funds are available to anyone who has worked at least five years full time in the entertainment technology industry—whether they're on the road or in a rental shop, they're a TD or the head of R&D, or they work in a theatre, or on a cruise ship.

Behind the Scenes is an initiative of The ESTA Foundation to provide industry members with financial support when they are seriously ill or injured. For more information about Behind the Scenes, to donate, or to apply for a grant, visit www.estafoundation.org/bts.htm.

CONTACT:
Lori Rubinstein
212.244.1421
lrubinstein@estafoundation.org

April 19, 2006

Our deepest thanks to all that participated.

March 6, 2006

Long Reach Long Riders & ESTA To Hold Raffle At USITT For Behind The Scenes
from LiveDesign Online
http://livedesignonline.com/news/esta_long_reach_riders_behind_scenes_usitt/

The Long Reach Long Riders and The ESTA Foundation are joining together to raffle off 12 great prizes at the 2006 USITT Conference and Stage Expo in Louisville, Kentucky, March 30th - April 1st to raise money for Behind the Scenes. Behind the Scenes provides grants to industry members when they are seriously ill or injured that may be used for medical care and living expenses such as rent, mortgage, utilities, food, clothing, transportation and childcare.

Be sure to stop by booths #823 and #824 to purchase tickets and help the industry care for its own. Raffle tickets are just $5 each or 5 for $20. The drawing, conducted by Bill Sapsis, will be held at 2pm on Saturday on the show floor.

Winners will be able to choose from a list of prizes including: Ghostlight (Altman Lighting), $250 gift certificate (Barbizon), WYSIWYG Design (Cast Software), Structural Master Class taught by Shawn Nolan (Entertainment Structures Group), free registration for the Broadway Lighting or Broadway Sound Master Classes (Live Design), autographed copy of Structural Design for the Stage by Ben Sammler, Safety Seminar taught by Bill Sapsis, Safety Harness and Lanyard package (Sapsis Rigging), two copies of VectorWorks Spotlight (VectorWorks), or a $250 gift certificate (Vincent Lighting Systems).
The Long Reach Long Riders are staging their Third Annual Charity Motorcycle Ride July 9-18, 2006. Riders start in Philadelphia and San Diego and the final destination is Rapid City, SD. Interested parties can join them for the entire ride or just one day. To find out more about the ride and the riders visit www.lrlr.org.

Behind the Scenes is an initiative of The ESTA Foundation, a 501(c)3 charitable organization established in early 2005 to create and support educational and charitable programs for the entertainment technology industry. To find out more about The ESTA Foundation or Behind the Scenes visit www.estafoundation.org.

January 18, 2006

The Long Reach Long Riders announce a new rider
program for their upcoming charity ride.

"We've received a number of requests", Bill Sapsis of the LRLR explains, "from riders who wanted to join us on the trip but couldn't make the full time commitment. So, in addition to those who want to ride the full route, we're also opening up the ride to day trippers. This ride has been a lot of fun and we wanted as many people as possible to participate."

The Long Reach Long Riders third annual cross country charity motorcycle ride begins on July 9, 2006. The beneficiaries of this year's ride are the ESTA Foundation's Behind the Scenes and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

January 12, 2006

The new Long Reach Long Riders message board is up and running.
Say hi to the riders, ask questions or just hang out for a while. Forum

Behind the Scenes Raises Almost $40,000 at LDI
November 29, 2005

NEW YORK, NY — The ESTA Foundation raised almost $40,000 for Behind the Scenes in raffle ticket sales and contributions at the recent LDI show, which includes a generous donation from Vivian and George Gill, owners of Stage Equipment & Lighting. Thanks to the Altman Family $125,000 Challenge Grant, the amount raised is doubled, as the Altman Family will match all pledges and funds raised in the first year – dollar for dollar – up to $125,000.

"Uncle Bill" Sapsis, "Lady Alice" Neff & Greg "Chrome" Williams with the Harley-Davidson Sportster XL 883 auctioned at LDI 2005 to benefit Behind the Scenes.

The raffle drawing was held at 3pm on Sunday, November 13th at the LDI show amidst a crowd of hopeful ticket holders. The first prize, a red Harley-Davidson Sportster XL 883 with laced wheels, was won by Tina Wright, West Coast Regional Manager for Rose Brand who said, "When I heard about The ESTA Foundation's goal of reaching $125,000, along with the Altman's pledge to match, I wanted to be a part of it. It was easy to buy 4 tickets...winning the motorcycle is just a bonus to this good cause."

Second prize, a fabulous theatre trip to New York City, was won by Debra Picard of DB Sound in Punta Gorda, Florida who commented, “What a thrill to win a round trip to New York City as a result of contributing to such a worthy cause.”

The motorcycle raffle was inspired by an upcoming fund-raising event for Behind the Scenes. The Long Reach Long Riders (LRLR) will stage their annual cross-country motorcycle ride July 9–18, 2006. For more information visit www.lrlr.org.

The ESTA Foundation extends a special thank you to those who helped make our presence at LDI possible including the Altman Family, Sandy Contrata, Crossroads Harley-Davidson, LDI, I. Weiss, Bill Sapsis, Stage Equipment and Lighting, and Greg Williams.

Behind the Scenes will provide financial support to entertainment technology professionals when they are seriously ill or injured. The Foundation is raising money for the program from those in the industry — so together, we can take care of our own.

Individuals or companies can support Behind the Scenes by making donations online at www.estafoundation.org or calling 212-244-1421. All contributions are tax deductible, and all pledges and funds raised in the first year will be matched, up to $125,000, by the Altman Family.

Blair Academy Faculty Players Raise $2,000 for Charity
reprinted from the Blair Academy News
December 2004

Wayne "Razz" Rasmussen

The Blair Academy Faculty Players presented “The Club,” an original musical written by Blair faculty members Craig Evans and Marty Schmalenberg, on December 8-11, 2004, in the Wean Studio Theatre of the Armstrong-Hipkins Center for the Arts. “The Club” is set in a fictitious music club in Warren County in the tempestuous sixties and seventies. The play was first produced at Blair by the Hope Community Players five years ago. This time around, the cast is made up completely of Blair faculty and staff members. The cast includes Peter Amerman, Holly Newcomb, Josh Markey, Dale Hurley, Melanie McMahon, Christopher Eanes, Sara Kaufman, Jason Beck, Amy Vachris, Wayne Rasmussen, Sean Hoskins, Elayne Reiner, Dale Phelps, Jenny Maine, Dana Williams, Beth Flores, Kate Young and Lois Stival. The Faculty Players enjoy taking time out to have fun and try their hand at acting. In the past, they have performed the musicals “Godspell” and “The Fantasticks,” and the comedies “The Thurber Carnival,” Scenes from American Life,” “A Cheever Evening” and “The Dining Room.” This time the story centers on a family club feeling the effects of the sixties – from the Vietnam War to the search for identity and happiness. As the first act ends, each character is left still searching for what he or she wants. The second acts occurs 10 years later, as disco has supplanted rock ’n’ roll, though the characters are perhaps 10 years older but not perhaps any wiser. Not only do the Faculty Players get to break out their tie-dyes and polyesters, but they also get to sing original music that mirrors these two decades of great sounds. Ticket proceeds of $2,016 will benefit the Long Reach Long Riders, an official fundraising event for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, which has helped raise millions of dollars since 1987 for the fight against AIDS in the U.S. - - Link

Bill "Uncle Bill" Sapsis and the Long Reach Long Riders proudly announce the second annual charity motorcycle ride, from June 26 to July 2, benefiting Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

Although the ride began as a one-time fundraiser among like-minded technical theatre artists, the Long Riders made an impact beyond their wildest expectations. Sapsis initially stated, "Time and again, those who perform in the spotlight have answered the call to raise money for worthy causes. Now it's our turn." This proved to be right on target. Over 200 individual and corporate sponsors jumped in to make the fundraiser a great success. So, they're doing it again.

This year's ride, "Out of the Wings and Into the Wind", has all the excitement that can be provided by an energetic group of artists and artisans who love to see this great country from the saddle of a motorcycle.

Two major changes will distinguish this year's run. First, the Long Reach Long Riders are reaching out beyond their core group and looking for riders and fundraisers from within and outside the entertainment community.

Second, this year's ride will be two-pronged, making it easier for people on either side of the country to join in the fun. One group will leave from Washington DC, and, on the same day, the other will leave from San Diego. The two groups will meet in Hays, Kansas, and then head north for a few days in and around Rapid City, South Dakota, where they'll pack in as much riding and sightseeing as they can before splitting off and heading home.

All donations to this ride are tax deductible.

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA) is the nation's leading industry-based, not-for-profit AIDS fundraising and grant making organization. BC/EFA is the on-going, committed response from the American Theatre community to an urgent worldwide health crisis. Since its founding in 1988, BC/EFA has raised over $50 million for critically needed services for people with AIDS, HIV or HIV-related illnesses.