The cost of putting Danville on the map

Sponsors help pay for big event

By HERB BROCK
Staff Writer

When Tom Duckworth moved to Danville in 1993 to become manager of the just-opened JCPenney department store, he had heard that his new hometown had a lot to offer.

But he didn't realize just how much until June of that year.

``I really like brass band music - the contemporary pieces as well as the traditional - so when I heard that there was going to be this brass band festival, I made sure that weekend in middle June was circled on my calendar,'' said Duckworth.

With Danville hardly a big city, he expected to be among a few hundred people from around town listening to some music from a few bands from around the region.

But when he showed up at the 1993 Great American Brass Band Festival, he ended up being among several thousand people from around the United States listening to a lot of music from a dozen and a half bands from around the country.

``I was absolutely stunned by not just the quantity of bands but the quality of them. Many of the bands and musicians were world class,'' said Duckworth, noting that he had been to big-time brass band concerts in his former home state of Virginia and they practically paled in comparison to the Danville festival.

Duckworth has not missed a festival since.

``I have thoroughly enjoyed the festival immensely, each of the five I've attended, and am looking forward to the upcoming one with as much anticipation as ever,'' he said.

``It's an amazing event. It's amazing that a small community has been able to pull off such a huge event - an event that has nationwide coverage and worldwide attendance. People from all 50 states and several foreign countries were at last year's festival.''

But this year's festival will get more than Duckworth's attendance and praise. It will also get financial support from the store he manages.

Danville's JCPenney has contributed $1,000 to the festival budget, and that donation makes the store an official sponsor of the event.

``The $1,000 donation is a bit of a financial stretch for us, but it's a way of saying thanks to Danville,'' said Duckworth. ``The way this community has supported JCPenney, we can think of no better way to give something back than by contributing to an event that has meant so much to Danville, an event that is of the community, by the community and for the world.

``And the festival literally gives the community worldwide exposure. Through the visits made by people from all over and from the publicity given the festival, people everywhere get to find out what an outstanding place Danville is to live, work and play.''

Duckworth will get no argument about the impact of the festival from Louis Prichard, a local banker who is fund-raising chairman for this year's event. And to Prichard, the impact of every donation is important - it's the lifeblood of the festival.

To be designated as a sponsor, a company, organization or individual must give at least $1,000. The festival now has more than three dozen sponsors.

``We add two or three sponsors a year. But just as importantly, many of our long-time sponsors have increased their contributions,'' said Prichard.

In fact, about 40 percent of the festival's existing sponsors have increased each of their contributions by $200 or more this year, he said.

``The increases in support are a sign that our sponsors feel good enough about the festival to increase their level of investment,'' said Prichard.

Most of the sponsors are local, but Prichard noted that there are several out-of-town donors.

For instance, the investment firm of J.C. Bradford, with offices in Louisville and Nashville, has donated $3,000, and GTE has given $5,000, he said.

Prichard said that sponsors provide a big part of the festival's budget of some $150,000. Other sources of revenue include the sales of festival T-shirtsand Advocate Brass Band compact disks and tapes and rental fees for the 140 tables used at the picnic, he said.

Most of the budget goes to the guest bands, paying for their transportation, accommodations and stipends, said Prichard.

``It does take a considerable amount of money to put on an event as big as the festival, but we look at it - and our sponsors look at it - as an investment in something that has really put Danville on the map,'' he said.

The following is a list of sponsors of the 1998 Great American Brass Band Festival with each contributor qualifying as a sponsor by giving at least $1,000:

Major contributors: Centre College, City of Danville, Danville-Boyle County Chamber of Commerce, Boyle County Fiscal Court, Danville-Boyle County Convention and Visitors Bureau, The Advocate-Messenger and GTE.

Band Sponsors: Bank One/Danville, J.C. Bradford & Co., Farmers National Bank of Danville, National City Bank of Danville.

Sponsors: ATR Wire and Cable Co., AdMart International, The Allen Company, Bob Allen Motor Mall, American Greetings Corporation, BellSouth, Caldwell Stone Company, Caterpillar, Caudill & Associates Independent Realtors of Danville, Central Kentucky Federal Savings Bank, Central Kentucky Trust Co., Dana Corporation, Danville Office Equipment Company, R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company, Farmers National Bank of Lebanon, gynecology/obstetrics doctors Glover, Harrison, Ahnquist, Alexander and Coleman, Hobart Corporation, anonymous, J.J.B. Hilliard and W.L. Lyons, Johnson and Pohlmann Insurance, Kentucky Utilities Company, Kroger, anonymous, M&M Electric, Matsushita Home Appliance Corporation of America, Ephraim McDowell Health, JCPenney Co., Peoples Bank of Kentucky, Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company, Red Wing Shoe Company, Rental Plus, Nancibel and Scott Rogers, anonymous, SDS Service, Slone's Signature Markets, Star Bank, Stuart Powell Ford-Mazda, Sellers Engineering, WRNZ 105.1 FM, WHIR AM 1230, ``The Skunk'' 107.1 FM, Wal-Mart SuperCenter, Waste Management's Stevens DisposAll Service.

Poster: poster design by Trapp Communications of Lexington, illustration by Pat Gerhard of Third Street Stuff in Lexington, separations by Computer Color Corporation of Lexington and printing by Advertiser Printers of Lexington.

The Great American Brass Band Festival is produced by the Norton Center for the Arts of Centre College.