EDITOR: I would like to clarify some of the messages conveyed in
the article on IDI in the April 27 edition of The Times and
reassure our community and our sponsors that IDI is neither
“broke” nor is our “bank account almost empty.”
EDITOR:
I would like to clarify some of the messages conveyed in the article on IDI in the April 27 edition of The Times and reassure our community and our sponsors that IDI is neither “broke” nor is our “bank account almost empty.”
The reality is that we are facing financial challenges due to a difficult economy and looming municipal budget cuts, and are therefore making a special appeal to the community for support this year. We are dedicated to preserving the heritage of Morgan Hill’s Independence Day celebrations. We are also obligated to our sponsors and donors to act prudently and responsibly. We do not plan to cancel our 4th of July celebration. Impact to the events will be relative to the success of our current Firecracker Campaign in reaching our financial goals.
We do need our community’s support in order to reach those goals and maintain the integrity of the events. We take our responsibilities to our sponsors seriously, as we do our commitment to preserving the legacy of our community’s ongoing Independence Day celebrations.
The statement that “money that usually arrives from businesses, citizens and even the city just hasn’t arrived” is untrue. Our business sponsorship campaign is in process (several new sponsors have already stepped up), and response is encouraging. It is imperative to acknowledge and give thanks to those sponsors. Individual donor request letters haven’t gone out yet – they are currently being prepared for mailing.
While IDI has been made aware of looming municipal budget cuts, we have not yet made our official annual request to the city. I am confident that the city will continue to be supportive of IDI, albeit potentially at a lower level than in the past.
IDI does need your support for this year’s Independence Day festivities.
2004 will mark the 110th consecutive year that Morgan Hill has celebrated Independence Day. In 1994, our parade was named the Official 4th of July Parade of Santa Clara County. Last year, our parade finally beat out Redwood City and was awarded official ranking as the best parade in Northern California. Over 35,000 people attend our annual festivities, which consist of seven events: A golf tournament, a youth patriotic sing (including an essay contest), a street dance, a 5K run/walk, a parade, a family festival and fireworks. The patriotic sing, street dance, parade, festival and fireworks are all free of charge to the public.
We can all be proud of our 4th of July celebration. But what we should be most proud of is our community, since our local Independence Day festivities are organized and run by an all-volunteer committee, staffed entirely by volunteers, and financially supported by local business sponsorships, private residents’ contributions and the City of Morgan Hill. This is truly an event created by the community, for the community.
Independence Day, Inc. (IDI), the all-volunteer non-profit organization that makes our 4th of July events a reality in Morgan Hill, is facing a unique financial dilemma and is making a special appeal to every community member for support this year. This year’s difficult economy combined with looming municipal budget cuts put us in a precarious position as we are challenged to maintain the integrity of our events – in fact to simply maintain all of the events as we know them.
Therefore, IDI is launching our “Firecracker Campaign” and asking you as a community member to support your 2004 4th of July celebrations.
Contact Information:
Sponsorship requests have already gone out to local businesses, and our fundraising team is currently following up. If you haven’t responded yet, or received a package, please contact us.
Our annual letter to individuals requesting donations will mail shortly to more than 11,000 local residences. If you don’t receive your letter by late May, or if you just can’t wait to have your contribution counted, please let us know.
Here’s how: Business sponsors: Rich Gamboa 776-9153 or Jeff Roth at 846-1247; individual donors: Rich Gamboa at 776-9513, or mail check to IDI, PO Box 1776, Morgan Hill, CA 95038.
If you want to find out more about the committee, call me at 891-1980.
If you’d like to volunteer, call Jennifer Grifall, 778-6770.
Our website is www.mhidi.com
Our goals are $35,000 in business sponsorships and $20,000 in individual donations. Watch the Morgan Hill Times on Fridays for our “Firecracker Campaign” progress, as well as an updated sponsor list. If you would like to help, but are unable to provide financial support, or if you would like to be more involved as well as donating, you can join IDI as a committee member to provide organizational support, or sign up to volunteer at the events.
Daryl Manning, President,
Morgan Hill Independence Day, Inc.
