NEW: Viola Davis Brings Another $20K to Segue Institute
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Viola Davis has generated a $20,000 donation to her favorite Central Falls charter school, GoLocalProv has learned.
The gift to the Segue Institute for Learning is from the Max Factor Family Foundation in honor of Davis, the Central Falls native who has graciously supported the school through both word and deed in the past year, according to Angelo Garcia, Segue Founder and Head of School. (To read about Viola Davis' philanthropy in Rhode Island in 2012, go here.)
Garcia, who is a childhood friend of Davis', told GoLocalProv that the two had discussed that she had agreed to appear at a Max Factor Family Foundation event, and planned to have her honorarium forwarded to Segue as a charitable donation. But neither knew what amount of money that might generate, Garcia said, or when a check might arrive.
Surprise check
But when Garcia opened his mail the other day and spied a check with such a large amount, he says he nearly threw it away.
"I thought it was one of those scams," he says, "where you use the check to buy a Hyundai or something like that. It was made out to me, care of the Segue Institute." Garcia took a moment to examine the check and when he realized it was from the Max Factor Family Foundation, the pieces fell into place. As did his astonishment. "We didn't know it would be that amount!" he says, about the $20,000 total.
Garcia says the funds will be applied to a campaign to fund renovations at an annex building recently purchased by Segue to provide services to the community that will complement the "school-hour" offerings at the charter school. As for Viola Davis, Garcia can't say enough about his longtime friend.
"She's constantly been a supporter of our school and the work that we do," he says. "She continuously keeps reaching back. It speaks to her journey. Her life has been about the educators in her life. Now as a recent mom she really recognizes that we need good choices for our students. I love that about Viola. She's not pro-charter. She's pro-quality education."
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