Valley Youth Theatre Collects New Stuffed Animals for Children, Kicks Off Arts Campaign to Entertain and Enlighten At-Risk Youth

(Phoenix, AZ) When A Winnie-the-Pooh Christmas Tail opens on Friday, November 30, it not only marks the 17th anniversary of this musical at Valley Youth Theatre (VYT), it signals the beginning of a seasonal stuffed-animal drive for Operation Noah and the pre-launch of VYTs annual Sponsor-A-Seat campaign. A Winnie-the-Pooh Christmas Tail is based on stories by A.A. Milne and adapted by James W. Rodgers, who also wrote Its A Wonderful Life. For 17 of its 24 seasons, VYT has produced this holiday favorite much to the delight of audiences from grandkids to grandparents. Pooh has become an annual event for many of our cast members too, said Producing Artistic Director Bobb Cooper. Hannah Blaile (this years Owl) has been in the show five times and ten years ago, Emily (Emma) Stone reprised her role as Eeyore! Since 2005, VYT has been a collection point for Operation Noah of Chandler. The organization distributes new stuffed animals to children at participating hospitals and once-a-year, children from HopeKids get one too while attending a free performance of A Winnie-the-Pooh Christmas Tail and trying to forget their life-threatening medical conditions. The first time we invited HopeKids was about seven years ago, continued Cooper, and every year returning cast members tell me how much theyre looking forward to performing for these children. Members of the press are invited to photograph or record a portion of the HopeKids performance on Thursday, Nov. 29 at 7 p.m. To reserve a spot, email your request to marketing@vyt.com by noon on Nov. 28. New to the theater lobby at this time of year will be the early launch of VYTs Sponsor-A-Seat campaign. Since 1996, nearly 10,000 at-risk youth have benefited from this program that introduced them to productions like Annie, Cinderella, High School Musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Oliver!, West Side Story and The Wiz and always includes lunch with the cast and crew. Some of the social service agencies that partnered with Sponsor-A-Seat in the past are Big Brothers & Sisters, Boys & Girls Club, Crisis Nursery, Florence Crittenton, Phoenix Day Center, Salvation Army, Sunshine Acres and UMOM New Day Centers. Employee volunteers from APS and sponsors like Subway and Frys have supported this program, but individual contributions are desperately needed. To make a tax-deductible donation, checks made payable to Valley Youth Theatre should be sent to 807 N. Third St., Phoenix, AZ 85004 and include SAS in the memo line. To make a secure online donation, visit VYT.com/supporters/sponsor-a-seat.aspx. For additional information, contact Development Director Debbie Paine at 602.253.8188 x304. A Winnie-the-Pooh Christmas Tail opens to the public on Friday, November 30 and runs through Sunday, December 23. Twenty-dollar tickets can be ordered on VYT.com. Discounts are available for groups of 20 or more by calling 602.253.8188 x2. About Valley Youth Theatre Established in 1989, Valley Youth Theatre (VYT) is a professional-quality theatre dedicated to helping young people achieve their full potential through meaningful engagement, education and excellence in the performing arts. Winner of more than three dozen National Youth Arts awards, voted 2012 Readers Choice for Best Live Theater on azcentral.com, heralded as Best Place to Take a Bow by Phoenix Magazine and rated one of the Top Ten Places to Become a Future Star by The Arizona Republic, VYT produces six mainstage shows each season. For more information, visit VYT.com. About Operation Noah Operation Noah is 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that began in 2004 when Dennis Fries of Chandler, Arizona discovered the need for something to comfort young hospital patients and decided that no child should endure a hospital visit without a new, soft-and-cuddly stuffed animal by their side. For more information, visit OperationNoah.info. About HopeKids HopeKids was founded in 2001 as a tax-exempt organization that provides ongoing events and a unique support community for families with children diagnosed with life-threatening medical conditions. For more information, visit HopeKids.org.