The Wally Russell Foundation announced that Bill Groener, vice president and general manager of PRG, has made a personal donation to the Foundation at the Gold Circle level. The nonprofit organization relies on donations by industry companies and individuals to move it forward as it supports the LA Opera internship program, Live Design’s Broadway Master Classes, and the Safety Certification Program. It also sponsors the Wally Russell Award, which honors outstanding lifetime achievement in entertainment technology.
Wally Russell’s friends and business associates created the Wally Russell Foundation in 1992 to honor the memory of Russell–a visionary in lighting design, product innovation, theatre design, technical direction, and general management–whose frequently unrecognized impact on the profession was profound. Russell helped bring about the first computer controlled lightboard; brought automated lighting to the LA Opera as their technical director; and designed many theatres, including the modernizing of Buenos Aries’ Teatro Colon. For more information, www.wallyfund.org.
The Wally Russell Foundation Board of Directors Donna Appleton, Phil Bernard, Rusty Brutsché, David Cunningham, Tom Folsom, John Howe, Philip O'Donnell, Richard Pilbrow, Glen Russell, Jennifer White, John Wiseman, Brian Russell, and Robert Schiller.
The generous donation is tax deductible and can be contributed at these levels:
Wally Patron: $2,500 and above
Platinum Circle: $1,000 to $2,499
Gold Circle: $100 to $999
Donations should be made out to The Wally Russell Fund and sent to:
Tom Folsom c/o TRiP, Inc.
2061 Hoefner Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90040