Hurrah Players: A Family Theater

"Looking at what Hurrah has done for my girls, I would want to have  that for every child," says Cassie Chasey, a Suffolk, Virginia teacher whose twin teen-age daughters Becky and Renee are part of The Hurrah Players.

Cassie and her husband Scott, a Hampton firefighter, have also found their roles with the family

Suffolk's Chasey family spends a lot of time at Hurrah.

musical theater troupe started in Norfolk, Virginia in 1984. She creates costumes while he makes scenery and acts in productions along with their daughters. More than 1,000 Hampton Roads residents ages 5 and up participate in Hurrah classes and productions each year.

Hampton Roads Community Foundation donor-advised grants have helped The Hurrah Players expand into Norfolk's new NEON District arts zone. Grants from the community foundation's Nancy N. Nusbaum and V.H. Nusbaum Jr. Fund, Alison J. and Ella W. Parsons Fund and the Leah S. Wohl Musical Arts Fund helped Hurrah Players buy and renovate a 13,000-square-foot building for scenery and costume making and storage, classrooms and an additional theater. Community foundation grants have also helped the Hurrah Players guarantee through scholarships that anyone who wants to participate in its programs can do that -- about 20 percent of students each year. 

While some Hurrah participants go on to careers in theaters, the nonprofit prides itself on how the skills it teaches are useful no matter where students land in life. "They learn how to relate, communicate and develop self-esteem that wasn't there before," says Hugh Copeland, Hurrah's founder and artistic director.

"Einstein said imagination is more important than knowledge," he explains. "We want to make sure everyone has the opportunity here to be creative.... As part of the community, we not only are teaching theater, we are establishing audiences for generations to come." 

Watch this short video by Bear in Mind Strategies and see the Chasey family and dozens of enthusiastic Hurrah Players in action.

 (The Hampton Roads Community Foundation is a regional community foundation started in 1950 as the first community foundation in Virginia. It is among nearly 750 community foundation around the country serving specific geographic regions. It is the largest grant and scholarship provider in southeastern Virginia and manages more than 400 charitable funds created by donors from all walks of life. Over the decades it has provided more than $210 million to improve life for residents living in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia, including the cities of Chesapeake, Franklin, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Smithfield, Suffolk and Virginia Beach. It also serves people in Isle of Wight and Southampton counties and the Eastern Shore of Virginia, including Accomack and Northampton counties. Learn more at hamptonroadscf.org. You can click here to locate a community foundation near you. )

Arts Come Alive in Norfolk's New NEON District

It has only been two years since Team Better Block showcased the potential for a downtrodden

Governor's School for the Arts students lit this alley.

section of Granby Street near downtown Norfolk, Virginia. Pop-up performance venues, galleries, cafes and coffee shops gave a glimpse of how this rundown, nondescript commercial district could be revived.

Since then visionaries, activists, artists and funders have worked together to bring to life the NEON District right where the pop-up Better Block event took place. NEON stands for the New Energy of Norfolk, but it also represents the colorful nature of Norfolk's new arts district. 

Last week the two-night Neon Festival drew thousands of people from throughout Hampton Roads to wander the streets and enjoy visual art, music, dance, comedy and food as part of Norfolk's Visual Arts Week. 

Yes, there was plenty of neon art along with new giant wall murals to add to the magic. The Business Consortium for Arts Support, whose funders include the Hampton Roads Community Foundation, helped underwrite this fun festival for arts lovers of all ages. 

The Downtown Norfolk Council, Chrysler Museum of Art, Governor's School for the Arts, Virginia Opera, Virginia Arts Festival and Virginia Stage Company were among the many organizations giving the NEON District a great vibe.Thanks to everyone who is helping breathe new life into this district. 

 (The Hampton Roads Community Foundation is a regional community foundation started in 1950 as the first community foundation in Virginia. It is among nearly 750 community foundation around the country serving specific geographic regions. It is the largest grant and scholarship provider in southeastern Virginia and manages more than 400 charitable funds created by donors from all walks of life. Over the decades it has provided more than $210 million to improve life for residents living in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia, including the cities of Chesapeake, Franklin, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Smithfield, Suffolk and Virginia Beach. It also serves people in Isle of Wight and Southampton counties and the Eastern Shore of Virginia, including Accomack and Northampton counties. Learn more at hamptonroadscf.org. You can click here to locate a community foundation near you. )

Community Foundation Donors Help 391 Students Go to College in 2015-16

We are excited about the 391 students who are in college right now with help from Hampton Roads Community Foundation Scholarships. Here is a snapshot of this year's scholarship program made possible by our generous donors who value education and love helping students.

(The Hampton Roads Community Foundation is a regional community foundation started in 1950 as the first community foundation in Virginia. It is among nearly 750 community foundation around the country serving specific geographic regions. It is the largest grant and scholarship provider in southeastern Virginia and manages more than 400 charitable funds created by donors from all walks of life. Over the decades it has provided more than $210 million to improve life for residents living in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia, including the cities of Chesapeake, Franklin, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Smithfield, Suffolk and Virginia Beach. It also serves people in Isle of Wight and Southampton counties and the Eastern Shore of Virginia, including Accomack and Northampton counties. Learn more at hamptonroadscf.org. You can click here to locate a community foundation near you. )