THUNDER FUNDER RAISES $70,000 IN CONTRIBUTIONS
2005-03-14T12:01:52
First-ever fund raising effort deemed a success
The Kentucky Derby Festival’s “Thunder Funder” Campaign raised more than $70,000 to help produce this year’s Thunder Over Louisville – the Derby Festival’s Opening Ceremonies and the largest annual fireworks show in the United States. A total of 1058 individuals and nine companies pledged $56,492 in contributions during the March 9 fund drive to 582-BOOM or via the website www.thunderfunder.com. The average pledge was $43.76, with contributions coming via telephone, internet and in person. An additional $13,800 was raised through gift package purchases made at Kroger and Republic Bank locations from March 10 – 12. (The actual number of people purchasing those packages is not available yet, but the total amount is known.)
“It was a great opportunity for the public to show its support of Thunder and help take ownership of this great event. We were very pleased with the public response,” said Mike Berry, Derby Festival President and CEO. “The Thunder Funder campaign could not have happened without the unprecedented partnership between the general managers of all four local television stations. Those stations – along with WBKI, WYCS and MetroTV did a tremendous job of promoting the fund drive throughout the day and through the weekend.”
“The campaign required the support of literally hundreds of volunteers, from Derby Festival board members to students from Manual High School. It was heartwarming to see so many people pitch in to help. We had never done this before and didn’t know what to expect, but it was very gratifying to have so many people step forward to show how much Thunder means to them and the community.”
The $70,000 raised will go toward restoring the public sound system that broadcasts the musical score to which the fireworks are choreographed and the air show is announced throughout the day. The amount raised was not enough to cover the entire expense, but Festival officials are also pleased to announce a significant “thunder funder” that will make up that difference.
Said Mike Berry at a press conference March 14th, “As a not-for-profit organization, the Derby Festival is engaged in an on-going effort to secure corporate sponsorship. The cornerstone of Thunder funding has always been corporate sponsors. This year is no different. In recent weeks, we’ve been involved in discussions with one potential sponsor in hopes they would join the Thunder Family of sponsors. It’s my great pleasure to announce that Bank One Kentucky, which formally becomes “Chase” on April 18th, joins Caesars, Ford and UPS as a corporate sponsor of Thunder Over Louisville.”
Said Todd Munson, President of Bank One Kentucky, “Bank One is a long-time supporter of the Festival. This will be our 30th year sponsoring a balloon in the Great Balloon Race and our second year on the Celebrity Luncheon, but we wanted to do something bigger to celebrate becoming Chase. The show of support from the community during Thunder Funder last week proved to us that the best way for Chase to say hello to Louisville is to sponsor Thunder.”
The combined sponsorship of Chase and the Thunder Funder contributions will allow show organizers to restore the three minutes of fireworks that had to be cut last year and possibly add back some other show infrastructure. Details will rely on the ongoing fundraising effort of the Thunder Funder drive that targets
businesses. Said 2005 Derby Festival Chair, Dan Owens, “My ultimate wish is that every business hosting a Thunder party would also participate in the Thunder Funder program”. There are business packages offering special gifts and VIP seating still available.
Thunder Over Louisville - the Derby Festival's Opening Ceremonies - is one of the more than seventy events produced by the Derby Festival in the spring. The Derby Festival is an independent community organization supported by 4,000 volunteers, 325 businesses and civic groups, Pegasus Pin sponsorships and event participation. It entertains more than 1.5 million people in a two-week period and has a local economic impact of more than $93 million. Thunder alone contributes $31 million of that estimate to both sides of the Ohio River. This involvement has made the Festival the largest single-attended event in Kentucky and one of the leading community celebrations in the world.
