Burton Family Foundation supports arts education in Sudbury

A graduate of Sudbury Secondary School is donating to an arts program she says shaped her into the person she is today during the school’s latest musical.

An alumna of Sudbury Secondary School returned Thursday to present a donation in support of the arts program she says shaped her into the person she is today.

Ashley Burton Rantala made a $1,000 donation during the school’s latest musical.

“It really catapulted the trajectory of my career,” Burton Rantala said.

“It gave me the confidence to pursue arts post-secondary and then to take the leap to pursue that as a career. For me, there’s a full circle moment. I’ve been an educator here in the arts education program at Sudbury Secondary, as well. So I know the magic from the inside out.”

The goal of the foundation’s donation is to create more opportunities for young people to get a chance to learn about the arts.

“These things cost money,” Burton Rantala said.

“Opportunities and experiences cost money. So if we can help eliminate some of those barriers and create more opportunity for learning in a pre-professional setting, that’s amazing.”

The funds were presented Thursday during a matinee performance of ‘Grease: The School Version.’

While it may be set in the 1950s, officials said at its core, it remains a story about teenagers trying to understand who they are.

“From the minute we buy the rights to every piece that goes into creating the exceptional prop sets, stage works, there’s a huge cast involved,” said Sudbury Secondary School principal Heather Downey.

“There are 100 kids, tons of costumes and everything. So it’s a really, really expensive endeavour. Worth every penny because the experience is amazing.”

Downey was a student, then a teacher, before she became the school’s principal.

“My first musical would have been the fifth musical they did, and the legacy is amazing,” she said.

“These are the things that kids remember. These are the things that these alumni remember. And this is why they give back, because this is an amazing building. And it’s the whole gamut from literally life-saving to providing kids the very best experience they have in high school that better prepares them for all of life’s skills.”

Sudbury Secondary recently celebrated 40 years of the arts education program. Performances of Grease are scheduled for Nov. 28 at 7 p.m. and Nov. 29 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.