SAG Foundation Announces $25,000 Gift to Establish Beki Pastor Fund to Support Actors Programs

June 14, 2013

LOS ANGELES (June 14, 2013) —Yesterday evening at a reception in the Actors Center, JoBeth Williams, President of the Screen Actors Guild Foundation, and Jill Seltzer, Executive Director of the SAG Foundation, announced a $25,000 gift made to the Foundation by donor Joan Pastor to establish the Beki Pastor Fund in honor of her sister, a lifelong supporter and participant in the arts and entertainment industry.

The Beki Pastor Fund will provide ongoing financial support for the SAG Foundation’s Actors Programs with a particular emphasis on the LifeRaft program that explores the business of acting through career-enhancing and inspirational seminars. LifeRaft events are led by established industry guests and free for all union performers.

“My family has strong roots in the arts and entertainment world. The Beki Pastor Fund was established at the SAG Foundation as a way to honor my sister’s work in theatre and voice-overs, and her love of art, dance and entertainment in general. She often volunteered to assist others in ‘breaking into and being successful in the biz,’ and it is my family’s profound hope that this fund will continue to help union performers in the same way,” said Joan Pastor, psychologist and philanthropist.

“Beki’s family also established a scholarship program in San Francisco in her honor in recognition of her career as a nurse.  We are very fortunate they have chosen the SAG Foundation as the recipient of the Beki Pastor Fund in recognition of her other love – acting,” said JoBeth Williams, President of the SAG Foundation.

The announcement of the Beki Pastor Fund preceded its inaugural LifeRaft event at the SAG Foundation: Tales from the New Media Front, Content Creators Share Their Secrets.The panel was populated by new media creators Yuri Baranovsky, Mark Gantt, Ian Moffitt and Helenna Santos-Levy. The panel was moderated by Zadi Diaz, Head of Content Development at Disney Interactive Entertainment. The LifeRaft video can be viewed here.