Three Main Street Alabama districts have been recognized for their fundraising. Main Street Atmore for their Celebrity Waiter Event, Downtown Gadsden for An Event at the Pitman, and Heflin Main Street for St. Paddy’s on Main. Keep reading to find out more about these events, how you can make a difference, and what they are doing to impact their communities with Main Street Alabama.
Main Street Alabama Celebrates Excellence in Fundraising
The Main Street Alabama Excellence in Fundraising Awards recognizes local Main Street programs’ fundraising activities or campaigns that display creativity and success in securing funds for their local chapters.
Main Street Atmore, Celebrity Waiter — Atmore, AL
Down in South Alabama, Main Street Atmore is raising money for their local efforts and grant programs with the Celebrity Waiter event. Main Street Atmore works with David’s Catfish in Atmore with the event held at their restaurant. In 2023, Tickets were sold for a shrimp boil dinner. The servers are local Atmore celebrities and they work hard to bring in tip money which go towards Main Street Atmore’s proceeds. Celebrities are also encouraged to decorate their tables and dress in coordinating costumes to increase the fun for all. This event was so popular it sold out in 2023, but Main Street Atmore quickly adapted to include a drive-through to not miss out on additional potential revenue. The 2023 event raised more than $40,000! We look forward to seeing what the Celebrity Waiter event has in store for 2024!
Downtown Gadsden, An Evening at the Pitman — Gadsden, AL
The Pitman Theatre in downtown Gadsden, Alabama, is a historic theater that needed costly renovations. Steve Gilbert, a downtown property owner, used his extensive list of contacts within the music industry to bring in world-renowned jazz guitarist and musician Ana Popovic for a night of great music. The event was a success in partnership with Downtown Gadsden. With one successful event under their belt, a second event was scheduled with Damon Johnson, former guitarist of Lynard Skynard, Alice Cooper, and Thin Lizzy. The events combined to bring in $22,000, with $12,000 being reinvested in The Pitman, covering costly floor renovations for the expanded stage and other amenities.
Heflin Main Street, St. Paddy’s on Main — Heflin, AL
St. Paddy’s on Main is a new addition to Heflin, Alabama, but is held in conjunction with a longstanding favorite community event, The Strides of March 5K. Heflin Main Street has expanded the event to include the St. Pawtrick’s Day Pet Parade, Strides Color Run, live music, and more to make the day a full day of fun and more than just one event. The goal of the event is to promote the walkability of the downtown district and to drive traffic into businesses. In 2023, organizers had a goal to raise $10,000, but were able to go above and beyond and raise $11,713.66!
Celebrating Excellence in Alabama
These are just a few of the amazing events taking place throughout Main Street Alabama communities. By hosting these events, Main Street programs are able to raise funds for programming and projects in their districts. program online to find contact information.
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