Sunday, February 1, 2009

Italian Festival in jeopardy

Source: Wangaratta Chronicle - 30 Jan 09

Desperate plea for sponsors, more local support, NOW, to save Viva Italia

Written by JACQUIE SCHWIND.

IT’S arrivederci to Wangaratta’s inaugural Viva Italia festival in March unless people instantly come to its rescue through sponsorship and purchase of gala dinner tickets.

Crunch time is Tuesday night when festival organisers, at this stage, are likely to make the heartbreaking decision to cancel the festival after eight months of hard work.

The Viva Italia festival was scheduled for the weekend of March 21 and 22, celebrating the rich Italian heritage and contribution to Wangaratta and district.

A gala Italian dinner and Italian tenor competition, a Guinness Book of Records attempt at the most accordions played in one location at the same time, Wangaratta’s own Leaning Tower of Pisa, Trevi Fountain and seven metre gondola, celebrity gondola races on the Ovens River, bocce, pasta making and barista races were among the planned activities, the majority of which were free to the public.

But the festival is now in jeopardy, after going from one disaster to another.

Festival president, David Lawson, said the festival’s two major sponsors, who had pledged $5000 each, had pulled out unexpectedly with just seven weeks to go before the festival - one due to a change of ownership, the other due to the economy.

"We’ve had small amounts offered for the festival but nothing like we need," Mr Lawson said.

On top of that, ticket sales for the festival’s gala dinner, with Italian cuisine, wine, band entertainment and the Italian Idol Tenor Competition, currently number just 10 compared to the 320 seats organisers expected to fill.

Mr Lawson said this was despite many people indicating they were going to get tables for the event.

Mr Lawson said he was also very upset about Shepparton dancers and Myrtleford singers dropping out of the festival activities.

He said the cost to put on the Sunday festivities was $40,000, taking into account costs such as insurances and stage/equipment hire, but, with $10,000 sponsorship at the very least and the sale of all gala dinner tickets, organisers had a chance of "just scraping through" staging the festival.

While the Rural City of Wangaratta had earlier allocated $5000 to the festival, Mr Lawson said he would not be looking to the rural city for a rescue package.

"It’s up to the community, particularly the Italian community, those in business, and I must say we haven’t had any support there at all," he said.

"I feel very disappointed about that because the festival is about their contribution, what they’ve done for the community."

Mr Lawson, who with two others put money in to get the festival ball rolling, described the festival’s organisation as "eight months of darn hard work" and said if the festival was cancelled he would not be seeking to try to get it off the ground again.

People wishing to support the festival through financial sponsorship/donations can contact Mr Lawson on 0408 589754.

Note: There is a good commentary on this story at the Alpine Opinion Blog


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