On Our Mind

Impact Austin Night at the Paramount Was a Hit!

Thursday, August 20, 2015 and Impact Austin is on the marquee of the Paramount Theatre downtown.

Our members and their invited guests gathered at 6:00pm in the lounge of this historic theatre to sip cocktails, chat, and to learn a little more about Impact Austin.

Executive Director, Donna Benson-Chan introduced our community partner, Jim Ritts, CEO/Executive Director of the Paramount Theatre. Jim gave an impassioned speech about the lasting impact our grant had on the theatre and its winning program.  

Literacy to Life is a program that allows The Paramount and State Theatres to engage children throughout Central Texas, cultivating a lifelong appreciation of the arts through their Education & Outreach Program. It is an eight week workshop in 3rd and 4th grade classrooms that uses drama, storytelling, and writing exercises to help students develop writing skills and celebrate the power of their imaginations. At the end of the residency, an ensemble of professional actors honors the creative voices of these students by bringing their writing to life in an energetic production for the whole school to see. 

"Our two year grant from Impact Austin allowed us to expand Literacy to Life tremendously, affecting thousands of children and bringing literacy, theatre and most importantly, confidence into the lives of these young people."

- Jim Ritts

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After our social hour, we took bags of popcorn and our drinks to the reserved area of the theatre and took a moment just to soak in the beauty and history of the Paramount Theatre. Our thanks to Jim and to Lori Martin, Executive Director of Development for their gracious welcome, including a shout out to Impact Austin Board Vice President, Sharon Francia, who had facilitated the event. Then it was off to the movies!

If you haven't seen "To Catch a Thief" lately, it is worth seeing again. Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, the French Riviera and the traditional cameo by Hitch, himself. How can you lose?  

Membership events are coming up all over town the next few months, and you won't want to miss them. If you have friends or family that you would like share Impact Austin with, invite them to come along! There is no pressure to join, but we find that as women learn more about collective giving and how much further their philanthropic dollars can go together, rather than alone, they want to be a part of Impact Austin and make a real difference in our area.

SEPTEMBER

Impact Austin Membership Recruitment Event
Thursday, September 24, 2015
6:30-8:00 PM

Design with Consignment
3301 Steck Avenue
Austin, TX 78757
REGISTER

OCTOBER

Impact Austin Membership Recruitment Event
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
6:30-8:00 PM

Collectic Home
2785 Bee Cave Road (RM2244)
Austin, TX  78746
REGISTER

NOVEMBER (remember dues deadline is November 30!)

Impact Austin Membership Recruitment Event
Thursday, November 5, 2015
6:30-8:00 PM

Calypso St Barth at The Domain
11601 Century Oaks #105
Austin, TX  78758
REGISTER

See you there!

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