April 22, 2005
Friday

Ketchikan, Alaska - Anticipation is mounting as ticket sales grow for First City Players' Annual Spring Swing Fling scheduled for Saturday, April 30th at 7:00 p.m. The cost of a ticket is small - only $20.00, and the night will be great - having all the excitement of excellent music, fantastic dancing, awesome food, outstanding drinks, and wonderful company with great conversation. It will also include door prizes, a silent auction, a vocal auction and drawings for 50/50 Raffles, plus the "Great Getaway Raffle" as well.

According to Deb Turnbull of First City Players, most of their events involve a theatre production. The Spring Swing Fling is an exception.

"It's just about fund raising - operationally - to keep the office, rent, [and] electric paid. You know, those things that grants don't cover like projects . . . or equipment specifics . . . not day-to-day operations," she said.

But it's not just a fundraising event for First City Players. The Ketchikan High School Jazz Ensemble will be providing musical entertainment for the evening. As a result, they will receive part of the proceeds as payment for their performance.

"We will pay this young group of people," Deb explained, "which will help them, in turn, to travel to competition because they are always looking for ways to supplement how they can get to and from these competitions."

She then went on to say, ". . . and we'll have a dance floor out - so it's a dance evening, and we're going to have a wonderful spread - your price of a ticket will include the food and the band," Deb enthused. "It's going to be at the Ted Ferry Civic Center . . . we've never had [a fundraiser] at Ted Ferry before so this will be new to us."

As a part of the fundraising event, First City Players will also be selling tickets for several raffles during the night, including the "Great Getaway Raffle." However, if anyone wants to buy a raffle ticket prior to the Spring Swing Fling, tickets will be available at the offices of First City Players at 716 Totem Way. They can also purchase tickets from any Board member or at the upcoming Charlotte's Web performances this coming weekend. There is also a call out for individuals in the community to step forward and help out by selling raffle tickets to co-workers or neighbors and family members on their own as well. And there are a lot of raffle tickets left to sell . . . and there's a lot of prizes too!

According to reports, both the raffle and the prizes were a huge success last year.

"There were great prizes last year. People who won were very happy with their winnings," Deb said before beginning to list some of this year's great prizes.

"There's a stay at Waterfall resort for four days and three nights . . . that's guided world-class fishing for two, airfare, meals, lodging. It's really a quite a delightful prize. Then comes the Silver King Lodge . . . that's for two and that's for three days and two nights. Then there's a Caribbean cruise for two for seven days and nights."

But the great prizes don't stop there. It was also revealed that there will be door prizes, a 50/50 drawing, and both a verbal and a silent auction held at the Spring Swing Fling too. All of the items are being donated by local businesses to benefit First City Players and the community theatre experience.

"Our Board Members approached the local businesses and asked them if they would contribute things," Deb explained. ". . . and if artists or businesses read this and want to donate, they [can] contact me. . . we have always appreciated everything everyone has done in the past and we absolutely appreciate their donations again. This community is marvelous. They support what we're doing and we really appreciate it. It makes a huge difference."

It makes a huge list of donated items too. Some prizes which are expected to be most popular at the event are; Alaska Airlines flights, sightseeing flights, art pieces of all kinds, automotive gas and oil, a car-cleaning package, fishing rods and Penn reels, flight excursions to Misty, beautiful jewelry, gift certificates, plants, gardening, mowing and weeding services, and massages.

"Yeah," Deb smiled as she finished ticking off these few items from the list. "There's a little something there for everyone. . . and you don't have to be present to win but we'd like you to be present to win."

And there's nothing like being right there when your name is called and you've won a prize. This year, space shouldn't be a problem at the Spring Swing Fling. The Ted Ferry Center can easily hold 300-400 people. First City Players is hoping to sell out and if they do, they still won't be as crowded as last year.

There were a little over a hundred people then and the show was held in the showroom of Lewis Chevrolet. The reason the board members decided to rent the Ted Ferry Center this year was purely because of space limitations at Lewis the year before.

"We were really kind of crammed in there last year, so while it was very generous of Lewis Motors to donate that space . . . we needed to have the ability to dance and set all of the items out for people to see . . . and just make it a more comfortable situation," Deb said.

And, speaking of comfort, it should be noted that dress for the event is optional. Although First City Players has dubbed the night as a way for the community to come together before it gets covered in tourists and thus, would love the community to come out and get dressed up, it's not a requirement. Be assured that whether you're wearing a sparkly dress or jeans, you'll be welcome and you'll have a blast.

If you do decide to get dressed up, though, you might want to keep a pair of jeans and a t-shirt in the car to change into if you're planning on volunteering to help with anything. As always, the Spring Swing Fling is in need of helpers and as always, Deb would be very appreciative of aid of any kind; whether it be decorating, donating prizes, desserts, or hors d'oeuvres, selling raffle tickets, bartending, or setting up and cleaning up afterward.

"They could help with decorating. We get in there the day of at noon and . . . place the tables and all that stuff," Deb explained, adding. ". . . and we need volunteers for bartenders and we're going to try to supplement the catering this year and maybe ask some folks to bring some hors d'oeuvre and dessert type dishes."

She smiled broadly then and enthused, "What happened for Jazz Cab; that was a fabulous spread . . . all donated and so, we will probably approach our members and the public at large to help out with that again if they'd like to and they can contact my office [to volunteer]."

As for other types of help needed, Deb admitted the more the merrier was her motto where setting up, cleaning up, or helping to sell raffle tickets was concerned.

"We need volunteers for clean up afterward. That would be lovely. Set up before would be great and we would love to have volunteers come up and help us sell 50/50 tickets. We called them Hoochie Girls in the past, but how about some Hoochie Guys?" she suggested with a wink. "And we're looking for people to help us sell [Great Getaway] raffles . . . we would love to have people who are members step forward and take some of our raffle tickets and sell them to outreach through the community."

"If someone wants to volunteer when they see this," she continued, "please contact our office at 225-4792 or by all means, stop by at 716 Totem Way. We like to see people face-to-face to give them an idea of who we are and we get to see who they are . . ."

But Deb wants you to come even if you can't volunteer.

"We want to see you all come out and have a blast before that summer season hits us," she said before adding that while she hopes locals will flock to the Fling, she also hoped Coast Guard personnel and seasonal folks will attend as well.

"We would love to encourage the folks who are coming into town in April [to] come on out and have a good time with a great group of folks. This is the community that you're going to be in for the next five months, so come and join us for an evening of fun before you get down to work and don't look up again until September," she invited with a smile, ". . . by all means, get in your fancy duds and come out and dance . . ."

. . . and Swing into Spring with a Fling!

As a reminder, First City Players' "Spring Swing Fling" will be held at 7:00 pm on Saturday, April 30, 2005, at the Ted Ferry Civic Center. Tickets are $20 and are available by calling 225-4792.

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