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Stage Two needs your help

Tough economy leads Rotaryfest to seek online funding for popular attraction
ROTARYFESTSTAGETWO-STOCKPHOTO
Musicians play Rotaryfest's Stage Two. Photo supplied by Carolyn O'Connor, Rotaryfest

Tough economic times in the Sault have led Rotaryfest organizers to go online and seek funds to keep Stage Two alive for this year's summer festival.

Stage Two, which will be situated on the southwest side of the Art Gallery of Algoma's exterior, is apart from the festival's Stage One and is dedicated specifically to up-and-coming, young Sault artists who want to sing and play their original work for Rotaryfest audiences.

"Normally we try to get sponsorships from the business community to make a lot of the major events happen as part of Rotaryfest, but let's face it, the business community is very stretched at this time with the economic situation in the city," said Carolyn O'Connor, the Rotary Club of Sault Ste. Marie's events manager, speaking to SooToday Thursday.

"While the club has wanted to keep the festival as free as possible and ungated to let people listen to all this music for free, it still stretches the club's coffers as well," O'Connor said.

Rotaryfest is aiming to raise $10,000 on the Stage Two fund raising website for production, marketing and pay for the musicians.

Donors can redeem prizes, such as Stage Two T-Shirts and other merchandise, during Rotaryfest.

To make a donation to support Stage Two, click here.

"We got a lot of good feedback for Stage Two and we wanted to continue it, but as we don't have a sponsor for it, we thought 'how can we make sure this continues' and we saw all the crowd funding  that's going on around the world and thought 'it's our turn to try this.'"

"Everybody's trying to think outside the box," O'Connor said.

Rotaryfest first brought Stage Two on in 2005 and it ran every year except 2014.

Tenaris Algoma Tubes was the main, title sponsor for Stage Two (or the Second Stage, as it was known at first), but apart from hitting hard times, the company has switched its sponsorship dollars to the childrens' play zone at Rotaryfest for 2016.

All of Rotaryfest's usual attractions, including Stage One, childrens' play zone, horse and pony rides and rib vendors will be back for this year's Rotaryfest, to be held July 14 to 16.

 


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Darren Taylor

About the Author: Darren Taylor

Darren Taylor is a news reporter and photographer in Sault Ste Marie. He regularly covers community events, political announcements and numerous board meetings. With a background in broadcast journalism, Darren has worked in the media since 1996.
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