From: tnf@well.sf.ca.us (David Gans)
Newsgroups: rec.music.gdead
Subject: A request for help
Date: 24 Jul 92 22:20:46 GMT
Organization: Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link

Cross-posted from the Well:


The circus is in trouble and you can help!

I first saw the Pickle Family Circus a few Decembers ago in the company of
several dozen Wellbeings.  Our potluck "Pickle Party" has become an annual
Well tradition; last year I brought my niece and nephew and we had an
excellent time.

It is my belief that clowns and acrobats are A Force For Good in this world.
The Pickle Family Circus is a family act all the way, funny and meaningful and
wholly free of cruelty to any creature (no animals are used).

Earlier this year I helped put together "The Mother of All Benefits," a
fund-raiser for the Pickles.  Someone decided I had a lot of the right kind of
energy and so they invited me to join the board of trustees of the Pickle
Family Circus, a nonprofit organization.  I accepted, of course, and I found
out the first order of business is to get some money coming in so the company
can hang in there long enough to get the Fall tour together.

So I'm putting myself on the line for those clowns and acrobats, asking you to
kick in a few bucks to this eminently worthy and altogether wonderful
company.

The following is email from Ann Vermel, the Circus's executive director,
explaining what's going on:


>Background:  The Pickle Family Circus has been around for 18 years as a
>Bay Area special-occasion and performing organization. Founded by Larry 
>Pisoni, Peggy Snider and Cecil McKenna out of a group called the Pickle 
>Family Jugglers, which evolved from the SF Mime Troupe.  In the first year, 
>the amazing combination of Geoff Hoyle, Larry Pisoni and Bill Irwin came 
>together to create some immortal clowning - which, combined with the 
>excellent live jazz accompaniment, established the company's reputation.  
>In 1987, Larry left the company and it moved indoors (the two are not 
>necessarily related).  Since then, it has been developing a kind of Circus 
>Theater based on the essential elements of the original Pickles - ensemble 
>performance, clown-driven shows, live and original music, and accessibility.

>The company originally performed so that other non-profits could benefit from
>the show through selling the tickets.  Real-Life Economics make that no 
>longer possible, but the tradition of community service continues through a 
>Special Audiences Program and this coming year's Community Service Days.

>Never ended a year in the red until 1991.  We are in trouble for a few 
>very basic reasons - we grew, and we did not expect it so it was not a
>managed growth; the economy did not grow, and that has and continues to 
>cut into our revenues; we made a few mistakes, and we had one major 
>cancellation that cost nearly $100K between the committed airline tickets 
>and the lost fees.  We carry an accumulated deficit of not quite $300K, 
>which is not comfortable, but which is managed through a repayment plan 
>and which is also not unusual for a mid-sized non-profit.

>We are at a real turning point.  We have the opportunity to make necessary
>changes and move the company into a very solid position from which it 
>can make a different but equally important contribution to the audiences 
>and children of the Bay Area and the communities to which we will tour.
>Funds raised now will be for programs, not for debt or survival, although 
>if you split the hair, we must do the programs in order to survive.  But 
>we are no longer in the position where we must spend a donated dollar on 
>the water bill; we can spend it on the show itself.

>This is as distinctly San Francisco as anything that has come out of 
>this town, and as special, and very important for the hearts of men 
>(and women).  So they should support it!


Can you help?  Any donation will be helpful, from $20 to 2000.  It's tax
deductible, of course.

Send your donation to:

Pickle Family Circus
400 Missouri Street
San Francisco CA 94107


The Pickles are also looking for foundation grants and corporate underwriting,
so if you have access to those kinds of funding sources we'd love to hear from
you.

Thanks for reading this, and I hope we hear from you soon.

Truth and fun,

David Gans


P.S.  Obligatory Dead content:  None of the members of the Grateful Dead was
interested in participating in a benefit.

-- 

	David Gans	tnf@well.sf.ca.us
			{apple,pacbell,hplabs,ucbvax}!well!tnf
Newsgroups: rec.music.gdead