Leesburg Faces a Frugal First Night

Annual New Year's Party Is Feeling the Pinch of Economic Slump

By Kafia A. Hosh

Sunday, December 28, 2008

First Night Leesburg, a popular New Year's Eve celebration, has a "fragile" financial outlook because of a drop in local government funding and an economic slump that has pinched the pockets of donors, according to the event's lead organizer.

"We're having to be real careful with the finances, because there is less money this year than there was in the past," said Peter Dunning, president and founder of the Bluemont Concert Series, the nonprofit group that organizes the event.

The alcohol-free celebration, which is geared toward families, will kick off at 6 p.m. Wednesday and feature 100 musical performances, puppet shows and other acts at 20 indoor locations downtown.

But Dunning said the future of the event, which Leesburg has hosted for 27 years, looks challenging. Bluemont struggled to raise money for this year's celebration, as several sponsors stopped contributing or slashed their donation, he said.

"Nobody's doing real well in the nonprofit world," Dunning said. "It's a very rough economy."

The Town of Leesburg, one of First Night's major sponsors, contributed less to the event and will stop supporting it after this year. The town donated $825 to the celebration, down from $1,650 last year and $2,500 in 2006.

About three years ago, the Town Council decided to cut back on funding various nonprofit groups, in the view that they should be supported through private donations, Town Manager John A. Wells said.

"It was a philosophical discussion about what the role should be for town expenditures," Wells said, adding that the town donates its government building for First Night performances.

Bluemont also puts on a First Night celebration in Warrenton, where it has had its share of budget woes but more support from local government, Dunning said.

The group had to scramble to raise money for this year's Leesburg celebration. In September, Bluemont had $2,000 in the bank for the event. The money was carried over from an emergency fund, which was tapped into in years when inclement weather caused fewer people to attend, reducing admissions revenue.

Bluemont officials revamped their fundraising methods to put on this year's event, Dunning said. In the past, the group x had mailed pledge forms to previous sponsors. This year, Dunning assembled a committee of donors, and the panel began an aggressive fundraising effort in the fall, meeting every week, calling past donors and targeting new ones.

"It's a do-or-die situation," said Joe Bullock, a committee member. "What we decided to do is take a proactive and aggressive approach."

As of the middle of this month, the committee had raised $12,470 from 47 private donors, mostly local businesses and individuals. It still hopes to reach its goal of raising $15,000 before the event.

"We feel confident that we'll have additional contributions come in, and we'll still pick up the phone and call people," Bullock, whose accounting business is an event sponsor, said last week.

First Night Leesburg will have an operating budget of about $34,000, funded mostly by donations and admission fees, which are $10 per adult, with lower prices for seniors and children. Most of the budget will go toward paying the 40 scheduled performers.

To avoid another budget crisis next year, Bullock said the committee will get an early start on its fundraising campaign. It also will try to replenish First Night Leesburg's dwindling emergency fund, which once held about $16,000, Dunning said.

"I think we'll start a lot earlier with some kind of plan and ideas to go ahead and build that fund up," Bullock said.

Tagged: 2008 Holiday Season, Economy, entertainment, holiday, Leesburg, New Year's

Your Thoughts...

Are you happy that the school year is over?