$30,000 Gift from Bell Atlantic Lights Up Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre's 30th Birthday

$30,000 Gift from Bell Atlantic Lights Up

Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre's 30th Birthday

September 18, 1997

NEW YORK -- Grants totaling $30,000 from the Bell Atlantic Foundation

will enable the Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre to provide bilingual

theatrical education for economically disadvantaged youth. The

donation honors the theater group's 30th anniversary season.

Bell Atlantic will join in celebrating the accomplishments of the

Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre and honoring artistic director, Miriam

Colon, for her visionary role in the Hispanic community at a gala

event on September 18 at the Copacabana in Manhattan.

"Artistic organizations like the Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre are

powerful communicators that increase understanding of the Hispanic

cultures in our society, promote education and advance a vision of

the future for people in the Hispanic community," said Toby Webb,

Bell Atlantic's executive vice-president for external affairs and

corporate communications. "We salute them on their 30th anniversary

for their accomplishments and for culturally enriching our

community."

The Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre has performed throughout the New

York area and is well-known in the Hispanic community. The company,

which performs in both Spanish and English, is an important training

ground for aspiring Hispanic actors and actresses. The Bell Atlantic

grants will support the group's Arts in the Schools Program and the

Raul Julia Training Unit (which has served over 5,000 students).

The Arts in the Schools Program makes it possible for students in

public elementary and secondary schools to see the works of

contemporary Latino playwrights. The Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre

will create a work study guide for teachers and students that will

help teachers incorporate the artistic works into the curriculum.

"Bell Atlantic's tremendous support of the Puerto Rican Traveling

Theatre's work has enabled us to continue our role in bilingual

communication and education through the medium of theatre," said

Miriam Colon Valle, artistic director of the Puerto Rican Traveling

Theatre.

Bell Atlantic has long-standing financial commitments to a wide array

of cultural organizations throughout its territory, including many in

the New York Hispanic community such as El Museo del Barrio, Mexican

Cultural Institute and the Spanish Theatre Repertory.

"Our region has the most vibrant mix of arts and cultural

organizations," said Suzanne DuBose, president of the Bell Atlantic

Foundation. "We are committed to keeping these organizations alive,

stimulating their talent and encouraging the diverse cultural

expressions of their communities."

Bell Atlantic's support of the Hispanic community extends into

education and community services. The Bell Atlantic Foundation has

provided financial support to such organizations as Aspira of New

York, Enlace-Latino Children Education Network, the Latino Commission

on AIDS and the Westchester Hispanic Coalition. Earlier this year,

the company announced a $500,000 grant to the Hispanic Federation of

New York, one of the largest grants ever received by the

organization. That grant is designed to strengthen the technological

infrastructure of the federation's member agency network, which is

comprised of 60 community-based organizations serving New York's

Hispanic community.

The Bell Atlantic Foundation administers all domestic and

international philanthropic grants on behalf of Bell Atlantic. The

Foundation's philanthropic emphasis is on providing safe havens for

youth and grants to technology and education, arts and human services.

As a result of the recent merger of the two companies, the Bell

Atlantic Foundation and the NYNEX Foundation have merged. All grant

programs previously operated under the NYNEX banner are now part of

the Bell Atlantic Foundation.

For a complete list of grant recipients and additional information on

the Bell Atlantic Foundation, visit www.bellatlanticfoundation.com on

the Internet.

The new Bell Atlantic -- formed through the merger of Bell Atlantic

and NYNEX -- is at the forefront of the new communications,

information and entertainment industry. With 40 million telephone

access lines and 5.5 million wireless customers worldwide, Bell

Atlantic companies are premier providers of advanced wireline voice

and data services, market leaders in wireless services and the

world's largest publishers of directory information. Bell Atlantic

companies are also among the world's largest investors in

high-growth global communications markets, with operations and

investments in 21 countries.