09 Nov D51 father raises $15,000+ to support theater programs through D51F designated gift
A BIG thank you to Mark Leistico for his enduring support of the high school theater programs in Mesa County Valley School District 51! Mark’s fundraising efforts and donor designated gift through D51F raised over $15,000 for D51 high school theater programs.
Mark participated in the Moab 240 Endurance Run and raised over $15K for the theater programs at Central High School, Grand Junction High School, Palisade High School, and Fruita Monument High School. Palisade and Fruita will each receive $2,007, Grand Junction High School will receive $5,007, and Central High School will receive $6,007.
Theatre Director at Central High School, Amanda Meltzer said, “Thank you so much Mark for this donation and commitment to D51 Theatre. You are an inspiration to all our students and have shown all of us that we can do hard things! Running might be an individual achievement, but your theatre family has been here cheering you the whole time, and we are so proud and thankful for you. With this donation we can keep our program running and do some incredible productions that I once only thought we could do in our dreams.”
“Of course being able to accomplish something like running 240 miles is pretty cool, but to me it’s nothing compared to the impact these programs have with very limited resources. I just hope I was able make a difference and tell their stories well enough to convey how vital they are to our kids and community,” stated Mark Leistico.
Grand Junction High School Theatre Director, Audrey Neumiller remarked,“When a community member partners with a school program, it sends a strong message to our students that the community cares and supports what they are working so hard on. Mark’s donation to GJHS Theatre Department will directly impact over 100 students this year. It will be used to buy materials for our upcoming musical Treasure Island. Thank you so much, Mark!”
“We truly appreciate Mark’s passionate and inspiring efforts to support the artistry of Theatre here in School District 51,” noted Fruita Monument Theatre Director Christian Herring. “I am so grateful for my dad for running 240 miles to raise money for me and the other theatre kids in the valley just so we could continue to do something we love. I love him so much for that,” said Camryn Leistico, daughter of Mark and CHS Theatre Club Member.