Broadway Comes To Broad Street For Covenant House Fundraiser
By Cherri Gregg
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Broadway's leading stars will join forces with former homeless youth at the Kimmel Center next month to raise money for Covenant House.
The Seventh Annual, "A Night of Broadway Stars," will include performances from some of Broadway's biggest names like Rita Harvey, who starred in Phantom of the Opera and Lawrence Clayton, the first African American to star as Jean Valjean in "Les Miserables."
Clayton says he volunteers to do the show every year because he wants to help the young people at Covenant House Pennsylvania. "If they just stay positive and keep focused on what they are trying to do in their life, they will be successful. They have so much strength and so much street smarts, so they will be successful. Thirty years from now, they'll look back and say this experience made them stronger."
Executive Director Cordella Hill says the night is lots of fun, but it is also their most important fundraiser of the year. Last year, she says the event raised more than $200,000.
"It costs about $200 a day for us to safely house a young person in terms of the services that we provide, in terms of the food, the clothing, the transportation in terms of preparing them for work or getting them back in school. So for Covenant House, the night means safe food, clothing, beds and a host of services that we are able to provide."
Harvey and Clayton were among the preview night of performances. Award-winning composer Neil Berg was host.
A Night of Broadway Stars takes place on May 14th.
For more info go to www.covenanthousepa.org or call Aileen Callahan at 215-951-5411.
