Dallas Theater Center patrons donate big bucks to North Texas Food Bank

A Christmas Carol audiences embrace the spirit of giving.

DALLAS — Dallas Theater Center collected $48,988.85 in donations for the North Texas Food Bank during its annual production of the Dickens classic A Christmas Carol. In its three-year partnership with NTFB, Dallas Theater Center has contributed over $130,686.38 to the organization.

"We are deeply committed to giving back to the community that has given so much to us," says DTC Artistic Director Kevin Moriarty. "Partnering with the North Texas Food Bank with A Christmas Carol reminds patrons that Dickens' message is pertinent and that there is much we can do to help support people in need throughout North Texas. DTC is fortunate to have such a generous and receptive audience and we are grateful for the opportunity to contribute to such a worthy organization."

After each performance of A Christmas Carol, cast members invited patrons to make contributions to NTFB. On average, patrons donated $1,484.51 per performance. This year's donations exceeded last year's by $6,864.645.

In addition to collecting monetary donations, DTC staff, Brierley Resident Acting Company members and A Christmas Carol cast donated their time by volunteering at the NTFB warehouse in October. After two days of working in the warehouse, DTC readied 19 pallets of food for distribution — the equivalent of 12,469 meals.

The North Texas Food Bank helps feed more than 53,000 families a month in 13 North Texas counties, with each dollar providing four meals.

"This is the most wonderful time of the year, and much of that is due to the generosity of the Dallas Theater Center," said Jan Pruitt, president and CEO of the North Texas Food Bank. "We have a goal of raising $6.5 million — one third of our operating budget — by December 31 and we simply couldn't get there without the audience's support at A Christmas Carol. Now, as Scrooge said, let's honor Christmas in our hearts and never forget the lessons it teaches us because, remember, hunger is year-round."

Source: Dallas Theater Center