Run/Walk Wednesday: David Engelman!

Every Wednesday leading up to the Entertainment Industry Foundation’s Revlon Run/Walk (May 4 in New York, May 11 in Los Angeles), we’re sharing memories and celebrating our team members! This week we talk to The Actors Fund Communications Maestro (aka Director of Communications and Marketing) David Engelman, who’s topping last year’s “Song Requests” fundraising effort with a special one-night-only performance!

(And we’d love to have you answer these questions, too! If you’re one of our team members, contact our captain Caroline Parrone, and you could be featured on our blog!)

Actors Fund: Are you walking in “honor” or “memory” of someone special in this year’s EIF Revlon Run/Walk?
David Engelman: I’m walking in honor of my friend Michele, an actress who was so brave during her battle and is now thankfully in remission. She kept a positive attitude during the whole traumatic experience, and she continues to live her life with gusto. Also, I’m walking in memory of my friend Gail, who kept her beautiful smile right through to the end, always saying how thankful she was for good friends and a good laugh.

AF: Why do you walk with The Actors Fund Team?
DE: Full disclosure? I work there. Seriously, The Actors Fund helps hundreds of women in entertainment in health crisis every year. Artists are a vital part of our lives – they make us laugh, cry and make understanding what makes people tick a lot easier. I have great respect for all women who devote their lives to their art. It’s also  a small way to give back (and have some fun).

AF: Do you fundraise for RRW, or have anything special planned this year?
DE: Oh yeah! This year my friend Beth (a talented actress & singer) and I are doing a one-night-only fundraiser on May 6 in NYC! David & Beth, Together Again… Live! Anyone who donates to my Revlon Run/Walk page gets to come to this special one hour performance! My brother, a professional musician, is even coming out from Detroit to play for us! It’ll be a total laff-fest and a blast!

AF: Run or Walk, and why?
DE: I used to run, but now WALK! I like to sip coffee and chat along the way, not to mention and taking in the sites of spring in Central Park.

AF: We’re taking a vote… Suggest a Theme Song for this years’ team?
DE: Flashdance: “What a Feeling!” It’s all about following your passion. It also opens our May 6 show! (Plus, it just makes you wanna move.)

The EIF Revlon Run/Walk is an annual event that raises money and awareness for the fight against women’s cancers, and funds raised by The Actors Fund team supports The Phyllis Newman Women’s Health Initiative (PNWHI), created to address the myriad of concerns women face when dealing with a serious medical condition. Help us fight the fight by joining one of our teams (clickhere for NYC, here for LA), or making a pledge or donation on behalf of someone who’s walking with us. Your pledge will help fund important research into the cause and cure of women’s cancers, prevention, education and support service programs for those women battling cancer and their families.