Fundraising for the Future

The Footlighters Theater in Redlands was busy with people swarming and bidding on multiple gift baskets when a bell was rung telling everyone to go inside the theater. A stage was centered between two tiered, auditorium rows of theater seats facing each other. Stepping into the spotlight, Roland Espinosa, a teacher at the San Bernardino Adult School (SBAS) gave everyone a warm welcome at the annual fundraiser for the school. The school was established in 1920 and is part of the San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD). According to their mission statement online, the school “provides a bridge to post-secondary education and the labor market through delivery of quality education”-but the school does more than offer high school diplomas and GED preparation classes. The school, which has over 2,000 students, also offers English as a second language and vocational training programs for areas such as the medical field and industrial jobs. They aim to provide enlisted students with necessary skills so that they can either further their education through college or become members of the work force. The school does not have requirements for who is and is not allowed in; students and teachers work together to achieve the best. When asked what the best part of being a teacher for the school is, Ms. Grace stated it is “making a difference in someone’s life.” Impacting everyone and making a difference is exactly what the school is doing. The SBAS is allied with the California Council for Adult Education (CCAE), which was founded in 1937. The school and council have hosted an annual fundraiser that will provide money for future scholarships for students attending SBAS. Since the school takes in everyone, the fundraiser has the chance to change lives. Fundraiser organizer, Raul Pedraza, Jr. spoke at the event sharing that the school is “something that is needed and cannot go away.” After the initial bidding of gift baskets, the Redlands Footlighters performed a play. Actors gathered on stage in a variety of costumes to perform "Is He Dead?", a comedy based off of Mark Twain and directed by Carol Damgen. The two act play was set in France in the 1840s, and featured struggling artist Jean-Françios Millet. Commenting on the stereotype that artists become more famous and are worth more after they die, Millet, who was played by John-David Wiese, decides to fake his own death and dress up as a widow to sell his paintings at inflated prices. The situation constantly lands him in several ironic and comedic situations where he has to deal with a variety of characters such as the Queen of France, an inspector in disguise, a money hungry art collector, and more. The event ended with a ten minute question and answer session for the actors, and giving away the baskets which included items such as gift cards, novelty items, and food. "Is He Dead?" is being performed at the Footlighters Theater on select days through the rest of March.