Red Bank's Count Basie Theatre Gets $1 Million Donation

The Charles Lafitte Foundation raised a record $1 million at its annual Charity Golf Classic, held last month at the Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield. This year’s beneficiary is the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank.

“Count Basie Theatre is a world-class arts and entertainment venue in Red Bank, NJ, that fosters understanding and appreciation for the power of the performing arts and creates opportunity for cultural enrichment for people at all economic levels. The funds raised at this year’s Charity Golf Classic will create an endowment for arts and educational outreach programs at Count Basie Theatre, making the arts available to students of all backgrounds,” Charles Lafitte Foundation said in a statement.

The Count Basie Theatre Board of Trustees expressed their gratitude for the donation.

“We are incredibly grateful to the Charles Lafitte Foundation and all of the other supporters of the Golf Classic,” said said chairman Tom Widener. “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, CLF’s co-founders, matched each Golf Classic donation, dollar for dollar. Over the past 12 years, CLF’s Charity Golf Classic has raised nearly $6.5 million to improve the lives of countless individuals, the organization said.

“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,” said Jeffrey Citron, co-founder of CLF. “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.”

Each year, CLF selects a different nonprofit organization as the beneficiary of its signature event.