Long Reach Long Riders raise funds at USITT
- Details
Sales of raffle tickets, some key donations, and sales of BTS and LRLR-branded swag raised over $15,000 for the charity. The LRLR 2017 ride, dubbed the Avocado Adventure, starts on 16 June in Escondido, CA. The riders cover all their own expenses so everything they raise goes to the charity. Sponsor a rider today at www.behindthescenescharity.org/lrlr.
Festivities led off with the traditional kazoo parade led by Bill Sapsis and USITT executive director David Grindle and many of the LRLR. Following the parade, BTS Pledge-a-Product partners InCord (Orchestra Pit Safety Netting Systems) and ETC (irFR and aRFR application for iOS and Android devices) presented cheques from the sales of their products pledged to BTS.
Live auction items included a custom pen/screwdriver and a seam ripper created by Shan and Trish Ayers and two special ghostlight desk lamps created by Bob Scales.
Just a few minutes before the raffle started Bill Sapsis announced he would donate up to $1,000 to match the amount raised in last minute ticket sales. There was a flurry of activity as the crowd stepped up and made Bill pay out the full amount. Reid Neslage from H&H Specialties stepped up with another $1,000 to triple the amount.
The winners and their prizes are:
Grand Prize, Vectorworks Spotlight with Renderworks won Roger Bardwell
BTS Ghostlight from Altman Rentals won by Mike Katz
ETC Source Four Mini Portable from BMI Supply won by Stephen Trammell
DMXcat multi-function Test Tool from City Theatrical won by Steve Welsh
Event Safety Summit 2017 Registration from Event Safety Alliance won by Robert Haycock
GoPro from InterAmerica Stage won by Alexis Bond
Set of eight Rosco Fitch Liners, Rosco Off Broadway Sample Kit, Rosco Fluorescent Sample Kit from Musson Theatrical won by John Wendling
$250 Gift Certificate from Sapsis Rigging won by Alfred Parish
PK Grill & Smoker from Stageworks won by Scott Parker
USITT 2018 Full Conference Registration from USITT won by Hope Kaas
And at the last moment David Grindle threw in a refund on the 2017 Conference Registration fee which was won by Kyla Kazuschyk.
Special thanks go to USITT for making our presence at the show possible; to Moe Conn, Kim Craigie, Alice Neff, Bill Sapsis, Frank Stewart, and Greg Williams for their invaluable help; to the donors of our fabulous prizes; and to all who bought raffle tickets, auction items, and swag.
All proceeds go to the Behind the Scenes charity which assists entertainment technology industry professionals or their immediate family members who are ill or injured. For more information about Behind the Scenes, to donate, or to apply for a grant, visit www.behindthescenescharity.org.
(Jim Evans)
