Count Basie Theatre Programs Get $1 Million Infusion

Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank will be able to create arts and educational outreach programs thanks to a $1 million donation from the Charles Lafitte Foundation that will create an endowment for the theater.

According to a news release from the Charles Lafitte Foundation, the $1 million was raised through the foundation’s 12th annual Charity Golf Classic. The endowment will make the arts available to students of all backgrounds.

“We are incredibly grateful to the Charles Lafitte Foundation and all of the other supporters of the Golf Classic,” said Tom Widener, chairman of the Count Basie Theatre Board of Trustees. “The money raised will have a tremendously positive impact on our education programs, which are the soul of the Count Basie Theatre.”

Suzanne and Jeffrey Citron, the foundation’s co-founders, matched each Golf Classic donation, dollar for dollar. Over the past 12 years, the Charles Lafitte Foundation’s Charity Golf Classic has raised nearly $6.5 million to improve the lives of countless individuals.

“Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, we are proud to support Count Basie Theatre with the largest amount raised at this event in our foundation’s history,” Jeffrey Citron said. “These funds will help provide access to the arts for students of all socioeconomic levels for many years to come. We are extremely grateful to our Golf Classic partners, many who have supported this event for more than a decade, for their contributions in making this the most successful year.”

The Count Basie Theatre’s educational mission is to provide a foundation of cultural enrichment to students of all ages and economic levels. These efforts include arts instruction and coursework, plus unique programs like teacher’s professional development and bus-in programs for students in underprivileged school districts.

“Whether onsite at the historic Basie’s Performing Arts Academy, or offsite in the schools, the Citrons and supporters of the Charles Lafitte Foundation helped us raise $1 million dollars to advance the Count Basie Theatre’s mission,” said Adam Philipson, president and CEO of Count Basie Theatre. “The endowment created from this year’s Golf Classic will provide thousands of arts education and outreach opportunities for generations to come.”

For more information about CLF, visit www.charleslafitte.org.

(At its 12th annual Charity Golf Classic, the Charles Lafitte Foundation presented a $1 million donation, the largest amount raised in the history of the event, to Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank. Credit: Charles Lafitte Foundation)