Category Archives: Past Celebrations

Past Celebrations

Our Past Celebrations

This will be our second year back on Broadway since the pandemic — last year we were able to take the children to Disney’s Aladdin. During the lockdown, in lieu of treating the children to Broadway, we provided the children with much needed supplies, including essential provisions, sanitary and basic hygiene products, and educational/recreational items.

We are grateful to all those who participated and generously contributed toward our efforts. These children suffered during the lockdown confined to single rooms in homeless shelters without access to essentials. Your generosity allowed us to continue to reach out to the most vulnerable, the children living in New York City shelters.
In the previous 17 years, we are proud to have brought smiles to the faces of more than 13,000 homeless children by treating them to Broadway shows during the holiday season. At times we have taken over entire theaters, with over 1,000 children from shelters watching the performance. These magical evenings buoy the spirit of the children and make them feel special and wanted throughout the year, despite their circumstances.

 

Lion King on BroadwayPrior to the pandemic, in December 2019, NYCCHP took 500 children living in more than 20 of NYC’s homeless shelters to the IMAX Theater at AMC Lincoln Square to see Frozen 2! In 2018 we took 900 children from 30 New York City homeless shelters to see the Broadway musical King Kong gave each one dinner and gifts from Santa.

In 2017 we treated 700 children to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. In addition to a backpack & educational supplies, every child was given a jumbo chocolate bar by Santa — and, of course, a Golden Ticket!

James Monroe Iglehard with Surya Garg, Manager of Youth Volunteers

Aladdin‘s Tony-winning genie James Monroe Iglehard with Surya Garg, Manager of Youth Volunteers

We launched our first event in 2003 at Trinity School with an afternoon of fun and games that included a performance by the Dance Theatre of Harlem. Since then, each year we have taken hundreds of children to venues such as the Big Top of the Big Apple Circus and under the lights of Broadway at Lion King, Mary Poppins, Bring It On, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, Wicked and Aladdin the Musical.