The Thea Foundation’s mission is “to advocate the importance of the Arts in the development of our youth.” Thea Foundation co-founders Linda and Paul Leopoulus and Faustino Bernadett were on hand to welcome former President Bill Clinton to the affair held at the home of Dennis and Karen Mehiel on October 24, 2022, in New York.
Hosts Agis Leopoulos and Andy Manatos also celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Thea Foundation. Since 2002, the foundation has awarded more than $2.7 million in scholarships to Arkansas students and provided more than $1.8 million in art supplies and creative materials to schools, among other pursuits.
Dr. Bernadett has been a long-time supporter of the Thea Foundation and he enjoyed sharing his goal of uplifting education and the arts with President Clinton during this celebratory October evening of Dinner and Conversations.
An Earlier Tino and Thea Foundation Fundraiser
The October NYC event with President Clinton followed another Thea Foundation soirée. On September 17, 2022, at the University of Arkansas at Pulaski Tech, a lively in-person “Into the Blue: An Evening Entertainment” event took place. It was an evening of gourmet make-it-a-dinner hors d'oeuvres, revelry, and entertainment from Thea scholarship alums. Everyone was celebrating the past, and the future of arts education in Arkansas made possible by Thea Foundation. Drs. Faustino & Martha Molina Bernadett, and others supported this festive happening.
A highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Pillar of the Arts Award to Thea Foundation co-founder Paul David Leopoulos. Video tributes came in from former President Bill Clinton and husband-and-wife actors Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen.
Left to right, Linda Leopoulos, Tino Bernadett, Skip Keesal, and Paul Leopoulos at THEA Foundation's “Into the Blue” fundraiser, held Sept. 17, 2022, at CHARTS, University of Arkansas-Pulaski Tech in North Little Rock.(Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette -- Helaine R. Williams)
Through events like these, the Thea Foundation aims to show its advocacy of the importance of the arts in the development of Arkansas' youth. By celebrating the work done for the past 20 years, it will provide artistic programs and scholarships to students across the state.