Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation Awards Orlando Family Stage $500,000

Embargoed until 9:00 AM, Friday, August 8, 2025

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Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation Awards Orlando Family Stage $500,000

Transformational Grant Will Support Strategic Capacity-Building Efforts, Programming, and Marketing, all focused on the Centennial Season (2025-26) and the next 100 Years

Leadership Gift sets the stage for inspiring the Greater Orlando Region’s support

Since 1974, EBCF has granted 29 gifts totaling over $4.2 million dollars to Orlando Family Stage*

Orlando Family Stage, in partnership with the University of Central Florida, is a professional theatre which empowers young people to be brave and empathetic though quality theatrical experiences

Orlando, FL – Today, the Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation (EBCF) and Orlando Family Stage (OFS) announced a $500,000 grant to Orlando Family Stage in support of their Centennial Celebration. This gift also celebrates Edyth Bush’s own commitment to live theater and love for Central Florida.  After Edyth Bassler Bush died in 1972, the Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation honored her love of the arts with a grant to complete a new home for the Central Florida Civic Theater in Loch Haven Park. That theater, now part of Orlando Family Stage (previously known as Orlando Repertory Theatre), bears her name.

The Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation has made a transformative leadership gift to Orlando Family Stage, affirming the organization’s fiscal strength, creative ambition, and commitment to empowering young people through theatre. This generous investment lights the way for others across Central Florida to follow, sending a clear and energizing message: the future of Orlando Family Stage is worth rallying around.

“This leadership gift from the Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation affirms the power of Orlando Family Stage’s mission to build bravery, empathy, and imagination in the next generation,” said Jennifer Evins, President and CEO, United Arts of Central Florida. “It also creates a platform for others to join in, helping ensure that every child in our community has access to the kind of transformative experiences that only live theatre can offer. This is a moment to invest in Central Florida’s next generation of innovators and creators and we are grateful to EBCF for making art thrive!”

The EBCF grant will help fuel our centennial celebration:

• Investing in a bold marketing and visibility campaign to expand and raise awareness among local and national audiences

• Launching the Playwright Track at the new Florida Children’s Book Festival — honoring Mrs. Bush’s legacy as a writer and champion of theater

• Increasing community access through initiatives like No Empty Seat 

• Building a stronger infrastructure to grow sustainable revenue streams and deepen audience engagement now and in the future

“As the incoming board chair, I’m incredibly excited about what’s ahead for Orlando Family Stage,” said David Riccardi, VP, First Horizon Bank. “This grant is more than a moment, it’s momentum! Our focus is on lasting outcomes: more young people stepping into their confidence, more families connecting through shared experiences, and more communities strengthened by empathy and imagination. The Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation’s leadership gift helps turn that vision into reality. This incredible investment into OFS creates further momentum towards the future we know is possible: one where brave, creative young people grow into the leaders our Central Florida region needs.”

“This extraordinary gift from the Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation transforms our Centennial from a milestone into a movement,” said Chris Brown, Executive Director of Orlando Family Stage. “For 100 years, visionary leaders like Mrs. Bush have ensured that theatre for young people thrives in our community. This investment honors that legacy while boldly looking ahead-helping the next generation discover their voice, confidence, and empathy through the power of storytelling.”

“This initiative aligns powerfully with the Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation’s mission of creating innovative civic solutions that help people help themselves,” said David A. Odahowski, President & CEO. “Orlando Family Stage’s Centennial is more than a celebration; it’s a forward-looking effort to expand access to the arts, strengthen community connection, and empower young people through storytelling and self-expression.

“Our support of the new Playwright Track at the Florida Children’s Book Festival helps cultivate the next generation of storytellers, creating new work that reflects today’s children and prepares them for tomorrow.

“By investing in both programming and marketing infrastructure, we are also helping ensure long-term sustainability; welcoming new families, engaging future donors, and building a stronger community through the arts.

“With Mrs. Bush’s name tied to this vision, the Centennial Celebration becomes a bold statement about the future of creativity, partnership, and leadership in Central Florida.”

History of EBCF Giving to Orlando Family Stage
The Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation’s support of Orlando Family Stage is significant and deep. Across fifty one years, EBCF’s summary of support includes, but is not limited to funding a new children’s theatre expansion in 1974 as well as renovations to the theatre in 2003, 2012, 2013; support of the Sensory Friendly Series in the 2014-2015 and 2015-16 seasons, funds dedicated to the No Empty Bus Program in the 2015-16 season, and in 2015 the transition to a new patron ticketing and donor database system. Since 1974, EBCF has granted 29 gifts totaling over $1.8 million dollars (*not adjusted for inflation, based on giving years). When adjusted for inflation, using current information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics provided by the Consumer Price Index, the 2025 equivalent estimated total is $4.2 million dollars.

EBCF Board of Directors

Richard J. Walsh, Chairman
Matthew W. Certo, Vice Chairman & Corporate Secretary
David A. Odahowski, President
Anne B. Kerr, Ph.D.
Brian M. Butler
John Rife
Sandy Hostetter
Leon Camarda

Orlando Family Stage Centennial:
In 2026, Orlando Family Stage will celebrate its Centennial! 100 years of using theatre to spark curiosity, foster empathy, and build stronger, more connected communities.This milestone marks not only the legacy of an organization and its many leaders, but the enduring vision of Mrs. Edyth Bush, whose generosity helped build the very foundation we stand on today.

The Centennial is more than a season of productions. It is a two-year-long community-wide celebration of the transformative power of theatre. This vision will be realized through a series of bold initiatives, including:

Signature productions and public events that reflect our position as Central Florida’s only top-10 arts organization by budget size, reaching thousands of children and families with professional, high-quality storytelling.

The Florida Children’s Book Festival, a new annual event linking literature, literacy, and live theatre – designed to inspire the next generation of readers, writers, and performers.

A community storytelling campaign and history exhibit, created with the University of Central Florida (UCF) and the Orange County Regional History Center, preserving the voices and impact of a century of service and highlighting Mrs. Bush, and the many leaders who have played a pivotal role in the organization’s past, present, and future.

Nationally recognized programming and partnerships that reinforce our role as a leader in the field – shaping a more inclusive, empathetic, and imaginative future for children across the country.

About No Empty Seat and Free

No Empty Seat: Not all families and schools have the financial means to attend performances at Orlando Family Stage. The No Empty Seat Fund works to bridge the gap and remove the financial barrier to our programs. With a specific focus on underserved communities and schools, free tickets for field trips and weekend shows ensure families and young people can attend. These efforts bridge this gap and reach even more families. For more information, please visit https://orlandofamilystage.com/noemptyseat/.

About Orlando Family Stage
Orlando Family Stage in partnership with the University of Central Florida, is a professional theatre with a mission to empower young people to be brave and empathetic by creating quality theatrical experiences. With its first performances in 1926, Orlando Family Stage is the eighth iteration of the original theatre company and has operated for the past 25 years as Florida’s only professional theatre dedicated to young audiences. Orlando Family Stage’s award-winning Youth Academy provides classes and camps for students, along with professional development opportunities for teachers. Housed in a three-theatre complex in Orlando’s Loch Haven Park, Orlando Family Stage is also home to the University of Central Florida’s MFA in Theatre for Young Audiences graduate program. Orlando Family Stage exists on the traditional land of the Timucua and Seminole peoples past and present. With gratitude, we honor the land itself and its stewards throughout the generations. To learn more, visit orlandofamilystage.com/ and orlandofamilystage.com/about/our-history/.

About the Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation

Edyth Bush established the Foundation in 1966 to alleviate human suffering and to help people help themselves. She was particularly interested in working with children and began granting funds to local education and human service organizations. Edyth and her trusted advisors, who traveled with her from Minnesota to her new Central Florida home, were steeped in the rich history and traditions of Midwestern philanthropy. Over time, it became clear that one of their most important roles would be to help strengthen the caring community by connecting philanthropists across the state of Florida and by providing management assistance for nonprofit leaders. Nearly half a century later, the Foundation continues to create innovative civic solutions that help people help themselves. Our best work is helping nonprofit organizations be better managed, governed and led. To learn more, visit https://edythbush.org/

Media Contacts:

Zac Alfson, Senior Director of Marketing, [email protected]

Justin J. Holden, National Media Inquiries, [email protected]

David A. Odahowski, President & CEO, Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation, [email protected]