LANSDALE – The North Penn community is invited to the 13^th Annual Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids (BC/EFA) Gala on Friday, February 24^th at North Penn High School, located at 1340 Valley Forge Road. This event begins at 7:30 p.m. and will include a display of the AIDS Memorial Quilt and the Broadway Silent Auction and Flea Market. No tickets are needed, but there is a suggested donation of $5 or $10. All proceeds from the Gala benefit the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS organization. The evening will also feature selections from the Ambassadors, the NPHS Jazz Vocal Group as well as from The Music Man, the NPHS Theatre spring musical.

This year, North Penn High School seniors Val Smith and Dara Wittman are producing the event that will feature top-notch entertainment, professional video information about BC/EFA and their work, and a fantastic silent auction of items direct from the Broadway souvenir stands of the biggest hits on Broadway. Attendees can bid on items all evening while enjoying the performances. The goal of this evening is not only to raise money for the cause, but to bring general community awareness on the impact of the AIDS epidemic, how to stop the spread of the disease and how to help the people and their families who have been impacted by it. While the focus of the Gala over a decade ago was on the ravishes of the disease on people and their families, research funded by organizations like BC/EFA and the raised community awareness through events like North Penn’s Gala have helped turn the tide to more positive news on new medicines and life styles that are combating the disease.

In preparation for this year’s Gala, high school students auditioned to be spotlighted on the stage and have been working on solos, duets and dance numbers in preparation for the event. Attendees can also expect to witness songs from Broadway shows and a dance number from “Bombay Dreams.” NPHS’s acclaimed jazz vocal group, The Ambassadors, will kick off the night, followed by short previews of the songs and dances from NPHS Theatre’s upcoming production of The Music Man. Students who plan to compete in several high school Shakespeare competitions this spring will also present their monologues, sonnets and scenes. 

As individuals enter the high school, they will be greeted by a lobby display of two panels from the AIDS Memorial quilt. The AIDS quilt comes to NPHS through grants from the North Penn School District Educational Foundation. NPHS teachers can bring their classes to view the quilt throughout the day on February 24^th.

This event is sure to be a magical evening full of sparkling talent and committed students reaching out to support others in need. For more information about the event, how the partnership between NPHS and BC/EFA began, or current fundraising efforts of NPHS students, please contact Andrea Lee Roney at [email protected] or 215-368-9800.