Zarechny, 2 March 2015. PenzaNews. The charity theater play “Ali-Baba and The Forty Thieves” held in Zarechny city of the Penza region on Sunday, March 1, raised over 1 million rubles for children’s healthcare.

The main roles were performed not by actors, but renowned people of the city: state officials, businessmen and civil activists.

Andrei Yarkin, general director of TRC “Zarechny,” played as the leader of the thieves; a worker of industry union “Start” Mikhail Isupov – as Ali-Baba; Alexander Ganin, head of the Federal Tax Service inspection in the city, played as Khasym; Khasym’s wife was played by Oksana Senkina, head of the social policy at the city administration; and Irina Sizova, deputy head of the Zarechny Administrative-Territorial Union, played as Ali-Baba’s wife.

During the intermission, the visitors were able to buy hand-made souvenirs on a charity fair decorated as an Eastern bazaar.

The play and the fair gathered a total of 997 thousand rubles. After the figures were announced at the stage, several more visitors donated more money, which made the sum surpass 1 million.

The funds were transferred to the charity fund “Gift For The Good,” said Elena Yenyutina, executive director of the city initiative support foundation.

The donations will be used to pay for healthcare and medicine for children with serious diseases and illnesses.