NMI chapter executive director John Hirsh said the corporate sponsorships declined this year.
He cited for example sponsors that regularly donated $10,000 or $5,000 reduced their sponsorship package to half the amount.
“We understand that companies are cutting their budgets and that a lot of them also issued checks to help the tsunami victims in Japan last March,” Hirsh said.
Despite the reduction in corporate sponsorships, Hirsh said the recently held 23rd Annual American Red Cross Club 200 event at the Fiesta Resort & Spa beachside was a big success.
“We saw a slight increase in ticket sales this year — 1,385 as compared to the ticket sales last year which was only 1,354 tickets,” Hirsh said.
He said there was also an increase in the ticket sales for the treasure chest raffle this year which reached $5,000. Last year’s sales for the treasure chest tickets totaled $3,000. Ticket for the treasure chest raffle was $10 each, while tickets for the event was $100 each.
Hirsh said a total of 1,234 people attended the event, a figure slightly higher than last year’s.
“This just shows that despite the hard economy, the spirit of giving is not gone from the people. The community still continues to pour their support for the programs of the Red Cross as what they have been doing for the past 23 years, and for this we are very grateful,” Hirsh said.
Forty-two lucky ticket holders won various prizes in the raffle draw during the Club 200 event on Oct. 29. Hirsh said the winners can start claiming their prizes at the Red Cross office on Airport Road beginning Nov. 14.
Hirsh, who has been with the local Red Cross for 10 years now, said the best years for the organization was in 2002-2003.
“I guess the toughest year was 2009. I don’t know how but it was when fundraising was so slow but still, we were able to raise funds to support our programs. We always spend less than what we raise, and again we have the community to thank for that,” he said.
For more information about the NMI chapter, call 234-3459.
