January 31, 2019

CHANDLER, Ariz. – Recently, Chandler Center for the Arts was awarded a $5,000 grant from Thunderbird Charities to support its Connecting Kids program.

Connecting Kids serves more than 5,400 young people, ages six to seventeen, every year with performing and visual arts experiences. Half of the students reached through Theatre Kids programming are low-income youth who qualify for Title I support.

“We are so honored to have received this grant. It is so much more than just a check,” says Michelle Mac Lennan, General Manager at Chandler Center for the Arts. “This is a young person being immersed in Shakespeare with the Utah Shakespeare Festival actors or a child inspired to create a work of art through the instruction of a teaching artist.”

“Providing these artistic expression and learning opportunities to our youth is something we’re very proud of,” said President of Thunderbirds Charities Carlos Sugich. “We’re happy to be part of Chandler Center for the Arts Connecting Kids program.”

The grant was awarded to the Chandler Center for the Arts through an application submitted by the Chandler Cultural Foundation, a nonprofit organization contracted by the City of Chandler to program and raise funds for the Chandler Center for the Arts.

About Thunderbirds Charities

Thunderbirds Charities is a non-profit organization formed in 1986 to distribute monies raised through the Waste Management Phoenix Open golf tournament. The mission of Thunderbirds Charities is to assist children and families, help people in need and improve the quality of life in our communities. The organization’s giving is directed toward organizations based or with a significant presence in Arizona. The Thunderbirds were founded in 1937 with the mission of promoting the Valley of the Sun through sports. For more information on The Thunderbirds or the 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open, visit www.wmphoenixopen.com. For more information on Thunderbirds Charities, visit www.thunderbirdscharities.org.