THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc. DATE: Sunday, September 11, 1994 TAG: 9409090271 SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL SOURCE: BY GARY NEWSOME, CORRESPONDENT LENGTH: Long : 133 lines
The Pungo Strawberry Festival showed that its impact goes beyond local waistlines, and sometimes state lines, by donating profits from this year's event to more than 60 organizations.
About three-quarters of the $41,000 in profits from the two-day event last May went back to the community, said Stuart Cake, a treasurer for the festival. Cake said $22,179 was released to organizations Aug. 27 and another $8,000 to $10,000 will be donated through February as emergency aid. The balance of the profits go toward next year's event.
The Strawberry Festival has donated more than $170,000 since its founding in 1984. Cake explained that the money comes from sponsors, parking fees and booth rentals for the Memorial Day weekend festival, which drew more than 183,000 people this year, its largest crowd ever.
Cake said returning something to the community has always been a goal of the festival, which would be impossible without community support to keep festival costs low. He said similar festivals cost between $150,000 and $175,000 to stage but the Strawberry Festival took in about $111,000 this year.
The city provides services, but no funding, for the event. Local donations of time, land and assets made the difference, said Cake.
An executive board decides which organizations to assist after reviewing written applications. The main criteria are need and that the money go mainly toward organizations in the southern part of Virginia Beach. Cake said most donations are between $100 to $200.
``We'd rather give a little to a lot of organizations than give large chunks to a few,'' said Cake. ``And some that we help are so small, or so in need, that it's as if we gave them $5,000.''
He said donations from festival proceeds are among the largest blocks of private grants to the city's DARE drug education program and to Equi Kids, which uses horses in pediatric physical therapy. Cake said that these and other programs might not exist otherwise.
Festival organizers also are expanding the size of their community, out to 75 miles from Pungo and sometimes beyond. The Cumberland (Va.) High School Band became part of the Pungo community after regular appearances in the festival's parade but still had to apply for aid like all other groups. Band leaders several years ago wanted to give students a trip outside of Cumberland, located halfway between Richmond and Lynchburg. They stay at area campgrounds each year while playing at the festival.
However, this is also the second year that proceeds went to flood victims in other states, to the Midwest in 1993, and to Georgia this year.
``If we hear there's a need from families here with relatives in those areas we'll give a grant,'' said Cake.
Aid applications and plans are already being considered for next year's Strawberry Festival and organizers hope they can exceed the amount donated in 1994. The event's reputation is growing outside of Hampton Roads and Cake is hopeful that will translate to greater attendance in 1995.
``We kind of thought we topped out last year,'' he said. ILLUSTRATION: File photo
Sarah Deel, 18, of Virginia Beach, was among the many patrons whose
Pungo Strawberry Festival purchases helped area civic groups.
FESTIVAL BENEFACTORS
Organizations aided by the 1994 Pungo Strawberry Festival include:
City of Virginia Beach - Community Quality Day
City of Virginia Beach - Public Works Department
The London Aires
N'Harmony
The Lady Marlins
Native American Heritage
Virginia Beach 4-H Livestock Club
Virginia Beach 4-H Show and Sell
The Frank Drew Elderly Fund
Kiwanis of Pungo
Creeds Ruritan
Job's Daughters
Khedive Corvettes
Khedive Highlanders Band
Central Virginia Rescue Dogs
Tabernacle United Methodist Church
Courthouse Community United Methodist Church
Benevolent Protective Order of Elks - Virginia Beach Lodge
Back Bay/Pungo Civic League
Explorers Post 911
Boy Scout Troop 306
Cumberland (Va.) High School Band
Kempsville Middle School Band
Virginia Beach Middle School Band
Tallwood High School Band
Landstown Middle School Band
Kellam High School Band
Kellam High School Strawberry Festival Scholarship
Kellam High School Class of 1995
Kellam High School Celebrate Life Program
Princess Anne Middle School Band
Creeds Elementary School Art Program
Red Mill Elementary School Art Program
Strawbridge Elementary School Art Program
Vo Tech Design Program
Creeds Volunteer Fire and Rescue Squad
Blackwater Rescue Squad
Knotts Island Rescue Squad
Courthouse Rescue Squad
Sandbridge Rescue Squad
Virginia Beach D.A.R.E.
Wildlife Response
Virginia Beach Lions Club
Norfolk Baptist Association
Virginia Beach Crime Line
Creeds Library
Hope Haven
Virginia Beach CASA Program
Equi Kids
Sugar Plum Bakery
The Make-a-Wish Foundation
Virginia Beach Special Olympics
Virginia Beach Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
The Joy Fund
Virginia Beach Police Department Bicycle Patrol/U.S. Bike
Virginia Beach Police Auxiliary Association
Creeds Recreation
Back Bay Restoration Foundation
Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation C.A.R.E. Program
Virginia Recreation and Parks Society
American Red Cross - Georgia Flood Relief
Salvation Army - Georgia Flood Relief
The festival also thanked several residents for the use of their
land by making contributions to charities in their name. They
include: Bob Johnson, Dave Kinsey, J.B. Elliott, Martha Holloway,
Danny Franklin, Richard Cox, Robert Parker and Troy Hedspeth.
by CNB