Mermaid Parade in danger, launching Kickstarter IT IS WORTH SAVING!

Mermaid Parade in danger, launching Kickstarter

Dear Friends of the Mermaid Parade:

I have two important announcements for you today:

1) Registration for this year's Mermaid Parade is now open. Click here to register.

2) We do not know whether there will be a Mermaid Parade this year.

Don't panic just yet-we have a plan. But first I want you to understand where we are and what we're up against.

Our first parade back in 1983 had more participants than onlookers. It is because of you-whether you've been marching for years or are joining us for your maiden voyage-that the Mermaid Parade has grown into the largest arts parade in the country.

A Free Parade is Expensive

This year we face unprecedented challenges. As the crowds have grown over the past years, the city has begun imposing new regulations and restrictions that have sharply increased the cost of the event. On top of that, Hurricane Sandy, that malevolent sorceress, wreaked havoc on the Coney Island community. We as an organization, like many others, are still recovering from the damage. What this all means is that the Mermaid Parade now has a budget shortfall of $100,000. This is an impossible gap for a tiny non-profit arts organization like ours.

The Plan

On May 7th , we'll be launching a "Save the Mermaid Parade" Kickstarter campaign to raise $100,000 for the Parade. We'll be actively updating our website and sending out news and information as the campaign to "Save the Mermaid Parade" progresses.

Next week you will receive a link to our Kickstarter campaign. Once you have it, please spread the word. If we don't meet our funding goal, there'll be no parade.

Registration this year is more important than ever before, but we also need to ask for even more from you to preserve our beloved cultural institution. Be advocates. This is your parade - get on your bullhorns!

Sincerely,

Dick Zigun

Founder & Artistic Director

Coney Island USA