In 24 Hours, You Changed Our Students’ Lives

In 24 Hours, You Changed Our Students’ Lives

Because of your generosity, more dreams came true last season!

Sep 17, 2025

In 2024, you showed us how much you cared. It’s been over a year and we are STILL overwhelmed by the generosity you showed us during The Giving Challenge 2024! The donations came in over a 24 hour period, with each notification giving us hope that we would reach our goal…and because of you, we did!

Rise Above fills the need for a safe, inclusive environment for our local youth to hone their skills and express their talents, onstage and behind the scenes, and we are always working to better serve them with the high caliber instruction and theatrical setting that they deserve.

Before the beginning of the 2024/2025 year, we planned our 9th season with thought and care. Not only do our directors choose shows that are relevant and that will help our students grow in their artistry, but the season is curated by taking into account all the factors that go into a successful production: music, sets, costumes, lighting… All of these things, as well as the actual royalties for shows, do not come cheap. The rights to perform a Broadway show can cost anywhere from one thousand to tens of thousands of dollars, and the more funds needed to produce a show, the less available to pay for the remainder of costs, such as costumes and props.

During the 2024 Giving Challenge presented by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, we asked you to “Be the One”, to donate and support our cause, and, boy, did you deliver… More than 140 of you donated, and with the generous matching donations from The Patterson Foundation, a total of $30,920 was raised! With those funds, Rise Above was able to pay for the royalties for all 6 full-length Broadway shows in Season 9!!!

Some Broadway Shows of Season 9


The Lightning Thief		The Diary of Anne Frank
With a live band playing the score, our talented performers rocked us out on a journey to a place where the gods have kids…and those kids have issues!		An immensely important piece of history and a compelling story, this play might not have been a musical, but the emotions from the actors pulled at our heartstrings in every scene.

At Rise Above, we focus on making the myriad benefits of the performing arts accessible to any child, no matter their background, gender or socioeconomic status. Children should not be excluded from the joys of the arts because their families cannot afford to pay for training, and in that same vein, we believe that facilitating high-caliber performance opportunities for students is just as important as instruction.

“Growing up in a household with limited resources, I often felt that my dreams of pursuing the performing arts were out of reach. However, this incredible program offered me a space where I could unleash my passion for the arts without the burden of having to find ways to pay for training. ”

— Olivia, Rise Above Student

Last season, more than 30% of the children we served were from low-income or at-risk households. Because of you, students like Olivia were part of our life-changing programs. Because of your gift, they were given the opportunity to experience an environment in which they were not only able to explore and sharpen their artistic skills, but one in which they felt safe, supported, and encouraged, positively affecting their mental health.

While it is hard to put a price tag on such benefits, your monetary donations are what make it possible for Rise Above Performing Arts to be what it is: not just a theater, not just programs or performances, but a stage for our local youth, for our future.

Promo photo for our alumni production of RENT.

“Rise Above is more than just a program; it’s a haven where dreams can flourish and individuals can find their voice.”

— Rise Above student

With your incredible support during the 2024 Giving Challenge, we entered our 9th season stronger than ever, and we continued to grow and strengthen as we began our milestone 10th Season in 2025/2026! We know what we can accomplish when we link arms with our community, with you. We know that with your support, we can help more of our young people find their voice. Now, as we look forward to celebrating the 10th Giving Challenge during Season 10 of Rise Above Performing Arts, we ask that you join us in setting the stage, literally and figuratively, to continue providing a haven for our students.

Save the Date for the 2026 Giving Challenge

April 15-16, 2026