NEWS RELEASE

For immediate release

For more information contact:  Ann Mort, Executive Director, P O Box 1245, Middletown, OH 45042,             info@visitMiddletown.org,  Phone/Fax 513-422-3030

February 16, 2005

CVB AWARDS GRANTS TO LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS

Dave Pearce, president of the Middletown CVB board announced grant awards to eight Middletown area organizations totaling $13,214.29.

Ohio Challenge Hot Air Balloon Festival will also receive $15,000 as the third of a three-year commitment made by the Middletown City Council prior to the CVB Board taking office. A request from Ohio Challenge to establish funding for 2006 was tabled until February 2006 funding cycle.  The 2005 Ohio Challenge Hot Air Balloon Festival will be held at Smith Park July 22-24, 2005.

The Convention and Visitors Bureau makes grant awards twice each year to groups presenting events that draw visitors to Middletown from outside the area.

Grant money is taken from the CVB’s operating budget. A 3% bed tax is collected by the twelve Middletown hotels on each room rental and has been channeled through the City of Middletown to the CVB. This year, the amount of bed tax dollars passed on to the CVB is lower due to the City of Middletown budget crunch. Therefore, the pool of grant dollars available is also smaller.

More groups applied for grants in this funding cycle. The CVB board was glad to be able to help the eight grant applicants even though the amounts are small.

Those receiving grants are:

Blues and Bikes                         $1,785.71

The event will be held June 26 on Donham Plaza in downtown Middletown.

This second-year event will draw motorcyclists and blues musicians from a wide area for a charity bike ride followed by an afternoon and evening of music and food.

Greek Festival                           $1,357.14

The event will be July 29-31 at Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church grounds on Grand Avenue. This traditional Greek festival is branching out to draw even more out-of-town visitors to the Middletown event.

Midd. Sportsmen’s Club            $2,357.14      

Traditional western attire and firearms will be the feature August 10-14 when the Guns of August come to the Middletown Sportsmen’s Club on Michael Road. That is just one of several major shooting events held at the club throughout the year. Their grant will be used to improve facilities to compete for even larger national events.

Midd. Symphony Orchestra       $1,500.00

The next concert will be March 19 at Finkelman Auditorium on the Miami University Middletown campus. Middletown’s Symphony Orchestra presents a full season of concerts including the free Labor Day Concert at Sunset Park.

Midd. Youth Soccer                  $1,714.29

March 18-20 is Spring Blast Tournament time and hundreds of young soccer players and their families will be in Middletown. Middletown is rapidly becoming known as an attractive site for youth soccer and other sport tournaments. Teams come from surrounding states to compete in Middletown and spend a weekend in local hotels, eating in local restaurants and buying products and services in local businesses.

Music on Main                          $1,321.43

July 30, South Main Street will be blocked for a party. The second-year event began as a small street fair on S. Main Street between Central and First. This year, it adds a car show and expanded list of entertainment.

Rising Phoenix                           $1,464.29

Rising Phoenix Theatre Company presents Oedipus Rex on Feburary 25-27 and March 3-6 On May 13-14 it is Blithe Spirit on the Temple Arts stage at 2 N Main Street. The award-winning theatre company draws guests from Dayton and Cincinnati areas as well as Middletown and bus tour groups to its Christmas show.

Sorg Opera                               $1,714.29

April 22-23 will see a world premier performance of A Stranger’s Tale written by Middletown’s own Curt Tucker and Nelson Sheeley at Sorg’s Opera House. The top quality productions presented locally are drawing more and more attention nationally and more audience from outside the immediate Middletown area.

Grants from the CVB are limited to promotion and marketing activities or improvements to an event site that helps draw visitors from outside the immediate area to Middletown events. Most grant recipients use their grant money to buy advertising or print mailing pieces, update websites or buy air time on radio or TV.

Grant applications are available for the next funding cycle through the CVB office at 513-422-3030 or via email to info@visitMiddletown.org. Deadlines for grant applications is 5 p.m. on the first business day of February and August.

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