The Virginian-Pilot
                             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

STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL PROFITS AID MORE THAN 60 GROUPS

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