You are on our mind. Complete our survey and enter to win a $500 Visa gift card!

MARY P. REESE COMMUNITY ACCESS FUND

Named in memory of Mary P. Reese who was a long time Board member and ardent community advocate for the arts, education, and equal opportunities for all. The Mary P. Reese Community Access Fund relies on philanthropic support to help ensure that ALL members of our community have ACCESS to the arts in the historic Paramount Theater.

The arts play a critical role in bringing communities together, and through donor support, The Paramount is able to partner with more than 70 community nonprofits such as Alzheimer’s Association, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Boys & Girls Club of Central Virginia, Community Attention Foster Families, Innisfree, International Neighbors, Parade Rest, ReadyKids, The Center, as well as school groups and other community organizations, offering complimentary or discounted tickets, and scholarships to Paramount events and programs. The Paramount welcomes an average of 1,500 community members with complimentary tickets to nearly 70 events each year!

Please join us today in bringing the transformative power of the arts through shared experience to everyone in our community.

Your support will help us to:

  • Host free community events and celebrations throughout the year, from movie screenings and Historic Tours to ACC Basketball and World Cup Soccer on the Big Screen.
  • Ensure an accessible environment with open captioning, interpreters, and sensory-friendly programming.
  • Introduce members of our community to high-quality, diverse, live, and screened programming who may otherwise not have opportunities to participate. The Paramount welcomes an average of 1,500 community members each year with complimentary tickets through the Mary P. Reese Community Access Fund.
  • Extend a discounted rental rate to approximately 40 local nonprofits each year to help further their missions. These groups range from the Virginia Film Festival, Light House Studio, Literacy Volunteers, UVA’s Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and many more.

Thank you to our 2023-2024 Community Partner Season Sponsor:

 

DONATE NOW

Only together can we truly reach deeper into the community and provide access to the arts today, tomorrow, and for future generations to come.

For questions about how you can further support The Paramount’s Community Access endeavors, or for questions regarding Community Access tickets, please contact Cathy von Storch, Education & Outreach Manager: 434-293-1000 or cathyvonstorch@theparamount.net.

The Paramount’s mission is to Educate, Enchant, Enrich, and Enlighten. Our funds allow us to achieve this by supporting specific aspects of our community-focused mission.

Community Partners share their thanks:

“Thank you for all that you do for our community. Our members’ lives are changed because of programs like the ones you make available to them. You are wonderful to work with and help provide such a unique experience for so many members of the Boys & Girls Clubs!“ – Boys & Girls Club, Community Engagement Specialist

“Mary Reese was a wonderful person. She would be so proud, thankful, and HAPPY to see the way in which the community benefits from her fund at The Paramount. You all do an absolutely amazing job – we can’t thank you enough.” – Sarah Blech, Adaptive Recreation Manager, Charlottesville Parks & Recreation