Over $11,800 Awarded to Area Schools to Attend Performances at Viterbo

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Oct. 22, 2015
Contact Beth Franklin at 608-796-3735 or bafranklin@viterbo.edu

OVER $11,800 AWARDED TO AREA SCHOOLS TO ATTEND PERFORMANCES AT VITERBO UNIVERSITY

LA CROSSE, Wis. – Viterbo University, with financial assistance from Ronald McDonald House Charities of Western Wisconsin and Southeastern Minnesota, Macy’s, and Friends of Lindy Shannon, has awarded over $11,800 to area schools to help offset the costs of field trips to see performances at the university.

The program, “Arts for All,” allows teachers to apply for funding based on the number of students at their school qualifying for free and reduced lunch. For example, if a school has 50 percent of its students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, that school may receive up to 50 percent off of their ticket price for a performance.

Performances in this year’s Ronald McDonald Arts for Young America School Series include historical shows such as Walk On: The Story of Rosa Parks and My Heart in a Suitcase, and popular children’s literature adapted into plays, such as The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Junie B. Jones. Ticket costs are $5 or $6 each for this series.

“We found that sometimes even $5 or $6 is too much for some families, especially when they still have to pay transportation costs,” said Michael Ranscht, director of the Fine Arts Center. “It is Viterbo’s goal to make sure that every child has the opportunity to experience the arts, regardless of his or her economic background.”

“Arts for All” funding will impact 4,800 area students this year in grades K-12. Schools receiving funding, among other regional schools:

  • Coulee Montessori, La Crosse
  • Emerson Elementary, La Crosse
  • Holmen Middle School
  • Irving Pertzsch Elementary, Onalaska
  • Lincoln Middle, La Crosse
  • Logan Middle, La Crosse
  • Mt. Calvary Grace Lutheran School, La Crosse
  • Northside Elementary, La Crosse
  • North Woods International School, La Crosse
  • Northern Hills Elementary, Onalaska
  • Prairie View Elementary, Holmen
  • Southern Bluffs Elementary, La Crosse
  • Spence Elementary, La Crosse
  • Summit Environmental School, La Crosse
  • Viking Elementary, Holmen

For more information about the “Arts for All” program, contact Beth Franklin at 608-796-3735 or bafranklin@viterbo.edu, or visit the Fine Arts Center web page at www.viterbo.edu/fine-arts-center/arts-all.

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