Liz Marks

Many people in the theater community recently received a letter co-signed by Irene Ziegler, John Moon and Jackie Jones regarding Liz Marks. Below is a lightly edited version of this letter. I encourage everyone to help out to the level they are able. Your help will be greatly appreciated and will have an immediate impact.

“Liz Marks has been a familiar actress, producer and casting agent in Richmond for decades. She survived breast cancer almost ten years ago, has recently undergone successful treatment for lesions on her liver, and finished a regimen of radiation for a lump in her arm. Now, she is back on chemotherapy and maintaining a positive outlook.

In addition to running the Uptown Talent Agency, she is currently getting up at 3:15 a.m. and working a part-time shift at Starbucks that will, soon, provide her with additional health insurance. Be sure to let Liz know of any alternative job opportunities (with benefits) you hear about.

Her health insurance is in force, but it does not cover a significant percentage of her medical costs. Once she reaches her insurance’s allowable limit, she’s on her own. Even now, she is awash in bills and matters are quickly getting untenable.

As Liz faces her current treatment, it will be a tremendous relief to know she will have a roof over her head, utilities, and groceries for herself and her daughter, Elizabeth. Without immediate assistance, all these necessities are in jeopardy.

There are two ways you can help:

1. You can make a check payable to The Liz Marks Campaign and send it to John Moon (address below). We created this charitable donation account just for this purpose. We will see to it that all gifts get to Liz ASAP. This gift would NOT be tax deductible.

2. You can make a check payable to the “Community Foundation” and write “Theatre Artist Fund – current spending” on the memo line. This check can also be sent to John Moon. This gift WOULD BE tax deductible, and would be distributed in accordance with the purposes and policies of the Theatre Artist Fund, as noted below.

The Richmond Theatre Artist Fund was established to meet emergency needs exactly like this. As of this writing, the Fund has approximately $1,200 available for current spending. Our hope is that the support generated by this appeal will significantly increase the funds available for current spending by the Theatre Artists Fund, not the principal. The governing committee of the Fund will then have more cash on hand to help Liz and others who need immediate assistance.

Let us be completely clear about this. Due to IRS regulations, the Fund cannot accept contributions that specifically mention Liz Marks or are earmarked for Liz and Liz alone. If you elect to make a tax-deductible contribution to the Fund as opposed to a non-deductible gift to Liz, you will be supporting the Fund and its mission to help cover the emergency financial needs of theatre artists suffering critical illness or injury. We are confident that the Fund understands and will respond appropriately to Liz’s need.

We genuinely need and will appreciate your immediate participation. Please send all checks at your earliest convenience to John Moon at the address below:
All checks will be delivered by hand to The Liz Marks Campaign and/or the Community Foundation as they arrive. Liz is aware that we are asking you for help. When she was made aware of our efforts, she was overcome with gratitude. She will be advised of the names of all those who respond to this appeal.

Thanks for considering this request. Through this campaign, Liz will know how much she is respected and loved. What medicine could be better than that?

We hope to hear from you soon.

Sincerely,
Irene Ziegler, Jackie Jones and John Moon”