A total of $5,236 was raised from raffle ticket sales during the three-day conference, more than doubling the $2500 Challenge Grant issued by Sapsis Rigging. In addition, Jonathan Deull made a $1500 donation to Behind the Scenes in support of the Long Reach Long Riders 2009 charity ride this summer, bringing the total raised at USITT to $9,236.
The winners and their prizes are: Fred Allen - Altman Rentals Ghostlight; Shan Ayers - USITT 2010 Conference Registration; Dennis Booth - Nolan Engineering Services' Structural Master Class; Ed Condit - Martin Light Jockey; Kacey Fisher - Live Design's Broadway Master Class; Ben Gasper - Utah Shakespearean Festival Ticket Package; David Griffith - Sapsis Rigging's Safety Seminar with Bill Sapsis; Karl Hoffman - Barbizon Gift Certificate; Randall Presswood - Vectorwork's Spotlight with Renderworks; Paul Sanow - Vincent Lighting Systems Gift Certificate; Charles Smith - Le Maitre's Radiance Hazer; Nathan Szewczyk - Field Template's SoftSymbols and Field Templates.
The traditional pre-raffle kazoo parade kicked off the festivities on Saturday afternoon with stops at specially selected booths for a private serenade. The raffle was emceed by Bill Sapsis, resplendent in a full tuxedo and sporting his just conferred USITT Fellows medal.
Before the raffle began Sapsis invited Paul Vincent, Kim Cragie and Walt Weber from Vincent Lighting Systems up to the podium to be acknowledged as VLS enters the fourth year of their Behind the Scenes Workplace Giving Campaign.
All proceeds go to The ESTA Foundation's Behind the Scenes programme which provides entertainment technology industry members with grants for emergency situations, such as serious illness, injury or death.
(Jim Evans)
