Carefree Truth

Issue #367, January 12, 2015

 

 

 

Carefree Christmas Festival volunteer organizer Jo Gemmill informed the Council that the planning begins in August, with meetings every 2 weeks.  Mrs. Gemmill recognized her team which consists of Councilman Glenn Miller, Lyn and Herbert Hitchon, Manny Gonzales, Kim Prince (Proven Media), Holly Bergman and Eddie Nicoles (Foothills Animal Rescue), Roberta Toombs-Rechlin (Magic Bird Festivals), Captain Dave Bennett (MCSO Posse), Patty Villeneuve and Jennifer McGirr (Carefree/Cave Creek Chamber of Commerce), Toby Payne (Technically Integrated), Ron Welsh (Ace Hardware), and Carefree town marketing director Gina Kaegi.  She thanked the Council members for the Town's financial support and for their support in attending the events.  Each of the Council members also made personal financial donations.  She felt this was the best Carefree Christmas Festival to date.

 

 

 

 

This year, the Festival lost two major corporate sponsors, a sign of the times, but it gained three new ones.  Chris Mellon & Co., a local contractor, donated the money for the Kids' Zone.  Discount Tires, Toll Brothers, and Hidden Rock also stepped up as first time corporate sponsors.  Glenn Miller negotiated an advantageous contract with Sun State Equipment, saving around $2,000.  The vast majority of our local merchants enjoy and support the Festival, but Mrs. Gemmill thanked me for my tenacity in getting donations from them for the third year in a row.  She laughed, saying that many take "extended vacations" when they see me coming, but she noted that I keep returning.  She sincerely thanked the merchants for their support, pointing out that the money they donate comes out of their personal pockets after a hard summer.  The end result produced a balanced budget. 

 

 

 

 

APS was the title sponsor of the Electric Light Parade this year.  They are also a major sponsor of the Phoenix parade, which allowed Carefree to partner with that parade, bringing some of their floats up to Carefree the following weekend.  Mrs. Gemmill joked that she "really worked those wheels!"  As APS had sponsored the fireworks previously, Carefree is looking for a new fireworks sponsor for the 2015 Festival.  It's a great way to get a corporate name in front of the public.

 

 

 

The big 4 letter word this year was RAIN.  Two hours before the Parade was due to begin it not only rained, but hailed, thundered, and lightning shot horizontally across Easy Street.  The people fled, leaving empty chairs sagging from the rain.  But Brits "Keep Calm and Carry On", so when people called to ask about a contingency plan, they were told there wasn't one, and that the show would go on.  The sun came out accompanied by a huge rainbow, the crowds returned, and the Parade got off on time, thanks to Patty, Jennifer, and their Chamber volunteers who stood in the pouring rain to organize about 600 people and the floats.  The only two no-shows were the traditional Kiwanis float with the huge papier mache Santa head which would have dissolved in the rain, and the marching band, as brass instruments and rain do not mix well.   

 

 

 

This year, there were fewer walkers but more floats, and the floats were of a high quality.  Iris Hermosillo, who also MCs the Fiesta Bowl Parade, was once again our celebrity Parade MC, a feather in Carefree's cap.  Mrs. Gemmill discovered that officials from Peoria attended the Festival to investigate doing one of their own, but came to the conclusion that they "couldn't pull it off".

 

 

 

 

The touching moment in the Parade, and one that the family didn't want televised, involved a soldier returning from Afghanistan being reunited with her family.  She waited at the Tea Room until the float with her brother was passing and she hopped on, surprising her mother who was in front of Venues.  It was a touching and wonderful moment, and Carefree is honored that the family choose our Parade for this homecoming reunion.  We thank her for her service.

 

 

 

 

The Magic Bird Festivals Gift Market was more discerning this year in terms of vendors, with more Christmas and child oriented booths.  Roberta is the largest single personal financial contributor to the Festival, each year donating a percentage of her booth fees.  In 2014, she was able to donate $5000 more than was originally anticipated.

 

 

 

The Friday night entertainment was extended, supported by several church choirs, and many more attended than in previous years.  Carefree resident and entertainer Kevin Glenn served as MC in the Sanderson Lincoln Pavilion during the Festival, providing continuity and entertainment between the events.  Foothills Animal Rescue had it's largest turnout ever for the Sunday Pet Parade and Adoption Event.  Along with many dogs, the Pet Parade included a donkey, a horse, a mini horse, and a pig.  The truck transporting the snow slide crashed on I-17 on the way down, damaging the slide to an extent that was beyond a quick repair, but Carefree was given 10 tons of extra snow to compensate for that loss, and a snow mound was created.

 

 

 

 

Mrs. Gemmill thanked Kim Prince, who was responsible for the Festival PR.  Paid ads were placed in all the major publications, and a paid Thank You/Recognition ad naming all the donors ran in the Scottsdale Republic the day before Christmas Eve, and in the Sonoran News the following week.  Three TV stations, channels 10, 12, and 15, were tracked to count mentions of the Festival, which occurred 14 times, and would have cost over $30,000 had they been paid ads.  Ms. Prince and her team visited the TV stations with goodie bags, keeping the Festival in front of the personnel, and giving Carefree a "face".   Channels 10 and 12 covered the pre-Festival on Friday morning.  Images AZ, the CITYSunTimes, and the Sonoran News provided front page coverage prior to the Festival.  Major online coverage included a photo slide show on AZCentral.com and a Facebook page that included interactive features and got over 20,000 hits.  Carefree Truth included videos from the 2013 Festival, which Mrs. Gemmill said could be accessed by visiting the website at www.carefreetruth.com and clicking on the Video tab.  Our 2014 Festival videos may also be seen there now.               

 

 

 

Mayor David Schwan thanked Mrs. Gemmill and her committee.  Councilwoman Melissa Price said, "You do a fabulous job."  Jo Gemmill was given a standing ovation.

 

http://vimeo.com/user18676056/review/116406631/cd9948da97 

 

 

 

Lyn Hitchon

 

 

 

Prepared by Carefree Truth

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