BBT spotlights First Step Program sustainers Anne and Peter Vegso
For almost 25 years, Boca Ballet Theatre’s First Step Program has exposed underserved children in our community to the joys of dance in a fun and supportive environment created by our faculty members. Since 2006, First Step has been generously sponsored by Vegso Family Foundation. We wish to take a moment to spotlight Anne and Peter Vegso and thank them for their sustained support of this amazing outreach program!
Anne and Peter Vegso moved to Boca Raton in 1985. It was during this time that Peter started Health Communications, Inc., a small business that evolved into the multimillion-dollar publishing company behind the popular book series “Chicken Soup for the Soul.” As Palm Beach County residents, Anne and Peter began to recognize areas of the community where people were in need of support. For this reason, the Vegsos have spent the past few decades serving as volunteers and sustainers for organizations that make our community a better place.
“Peter and I have been very blessed in our lives and wanted to give back to the community,” Anne recently shared. “Our Vegso Family Foundation focuses on women and children. Over the years, we have supported many non-profit organizations. We look for a specific need and try to help.”
We are grateful that the Vegsos decided to offer their support as the sustainers of BBT’s First Step Program. “These children are given the wonderful opportunity to express themselves through dance,” Anne said. “Being exposed to the Arts at a young age is truly inspiring.”
Anne and Peter’s community involvement includes the philanthropic support of the Junior League of Boca Raton, Equine-Assisted Therapies of South Florida, Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse (AVDA), Festival of the Arts, the Boca Raton Historical Society, Boca Raton Regional Hospital, and many more! In addition to being honored as a Junior League Woman Volunteer of the Year and a Bethesda Hospital “Woman of Grace,” Anne recently won the Soroptimist International Boca Raton-Deerfield Beach “Women of Distinction” Award in the “Non-Profit Leadership” category, recognizing her exceptional work for AVDA for over 20 years.
We hope you will join us in thanking Anne and Peter Vegso for their commitment to our community, its residents, and the many non-profit organizations that call Palm Beach County home!
About First Step
Boca Ballet Theatre’s First Step Program supports young people in becoming good community members through discipline, increased self-esteem, and respect for authority figures—all while enjoying the undeniable beauty of dance. Currently, we work with Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County. 15 children ages eight through ten attend First Step classes twice a week. The children are exposed to ballet and modern dance in the supportive environment created by BBT’s dedicated faculty members. In addition to providing transportation for the students, all of their dance wear and dance shoes are provided at no cost to the families.
First Step uses the arts as a framework for learning about life, providing an interactive, hands-on method of discovery that is fun and non-threatening. Children involved in the program learn that dance is a way to create meaning and to communicate. They learn to demonstrate and apply critical and creative thinking skills. Dance also demonstrates the benefits of healthy living. Furthermore, children involved in the program are exposed to dance from various cultures and historical periods, which promotes understanding and tolerance for people from all walks of life.