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Keep the Variety Arts Alive! Winter 2005 Fundraising Letter Downloadable Version (MS Word document) Letter from Hovey Burgess, Bindlestiff Family Cirkus Board of Director Chairman December 6, 2006 Dear Friend, Everyone loves the circus. And like anyone who's seen the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus, you know it's something special. Not a big-top spectacle or an otherworldly fantasy, Bindlestiff is different kind of circus—its offbeat sideshow sensibility and genuine, homespun charm make it utterly unique. Imagine a small tent, intimate and personal, where anything can happen, from the shocking to the sublime: This is the essence of Bindlestiff. As Bindlestiff's Board Chairman, I have had the privilege of witnessing the Cirkus's remarkable transformation. In the years I have known Bindlestiff's founders, Stephanie Monseu and Keith Nelson (Philomena and Pennygaff to their fans), I have seen them grow from a young couple eating fire in downtown clubs into a formidable pair of performers fostering the growth of an entire community of variety artists. The Bindlestiff Family includes circus stars of all stripes— clowns, jugglers, acrobats, aerialists—plus saucy burlesque dancers and sideshow freaks, cowboys and contortionists, Blue Bunnies and Red Bastards, magicians, musicians, puppets, pirates, and more. . . . What these performers all share is a passion for creating moments that transport people beyond the everyday. It is Bindlestiff that brings them together to make such extraordinary moments happen, and it is fans and friends like you who make this possible through your continued support. As Bindlestiff continues to bring its signature shows to audiences in New York and beyond—highlights of 2006 included performing in a 19th- century Spiegeltent in lower Manhattan and touring to 24 cities in the U.S.—we are now expanding our focus to mentor the next generation of variety artists. Over the last year Bindlestiff has forged new partnerships, teaching circus skills to local kids at Snug Harbor Cultural Center and clowning and physical comedy to students at Wagner College, Staten Island. And Bindlestiff’s Cavalcade of Youth has found a long-term home at the Henry Street Settlement in Lower Manhattan. Expanding our programs into teaching and outreach is a tremendous development for the Cirkus, but we can't do it alone! It is only with help from our friends and fans that we are able to carry out the exciting work we have ahead of us. I hope that you will continue to show your support of the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus, first of all by coming to shows, and also by making a tax-deductible contribution today. By helping pay for props, publicity, space rental, insurance, gas, legal fees, and other rising expenses, your support will enable us to carry out our mission of keeping the American variety arts tradition alive. Thanks in advance for your help—I'll see you at the Cirkus. Sincerely, Hovey Burgess Board Chairman Bindlestiff Family Cirkus Bindlestiff Family Variety Arts, Inc. is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization devoted to the preservation and evolution of the variety arts. All contributions are tax-deductible. The Bindlestiff Family Cirkus PO Box 1917 New York, NY 10009 1-877-BINDLES http://www.Bindlestiff.org |
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