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Northfield Labor Day Needs Your Help
(by The Northfield Observances Board and Committee Members - February 25, 2009)
Editor:
To Northfield Labor Day participants and the greater Northfield community, we greatly appreciate your continued loyalty and commitment to the Northfield Labor Day Weekend Celebration, and hope that you will continue to show your support by participating in the future. After much deliberation over the last six months, the Northfield Observances Board and its committee members (NOB) have come to the conclusion that without adequate funding, the 2009 event may have to be suspended.
During the last 30 days, the NOB met twice with a handful of representatives from the non-profit organizations whose annual fundraising depends greatly on the revenues from their booths, to make them aware of the dire financial straits of the event. As a result of these meetings, it was decided that the only option left was that NOB should appeal to the community at large for the funding, in the hopes that loyal donors will give again (and maybe give more) this year, and that new benefactors may come forward to save this 35-year-old community event.
In order to hold the 3-day event this year, the Board has determined the need for $40,000 - to cover the 2009 expenses and have enough seed money to fund the start up of the 2010 event. Given the uncertain economy, we cannot begin to plan the event without having the funding ahead of time, nor can we rely on any revenue from the upcoming event to pay expenses again, or we will just keep going in the red.
Unless contributions and commitments totaling $30,000 are received by March 1, 2009, the annual Labor Day Weekend event cannot be held in 2009 (and without the additional $10,000, may not be able to continue into 2010 and beyond), so we are making an appeal to the people and businesses of Northfield, Washington County, Central Vermont, and beyond, to help keep this event alive by digging deeper (and sooner) than in years past.
Not only are we low on money, but we are also running out of time, and six or eight of us can only do so much in the next 6 months. So, in addition to the funding, we are also asking for volunteers.
Northfield Observances, Inc is a non-profit 501(c)(4) entity. To help the 2009 Labor Day event, please send a commitment letter to: Northfield Observances, Inc, PO Box 81, Northfield Falls, VT 05664 or info@northfieldlaborday.org or visit www.northfieldlaborday.org and click the "Donate" button (which should be up by the end of the week).
We appreciate the feedback and support we have received from the community, and hope to continue to do so far into the future.
The Northfield Observances Board and Committee Members:
Marguerite Moore, Jonathan Burr, Diane McKain, Lisa Burr,
Charlene McCarney, Emilly Wrigley, Perry McGrath
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