The Gold Cup Parade committee announced Tuesday that it will retire following the 50th anniversary edition in 2011.
The news came at a press conference in Charlottetown where members of the committee explained they wanted to give organizations, individuals and businesses two years to make plans to transfer the responsibility.
"This isn't a case of us saying we're going to quit if we have a (new) committee," said long-time parade committee member Sibyl Cutcliffe. "We're through whether we have a (new) committee or not."
Bill Chandler, president of the parade committee, said they want interested parties willing to take the parade over to make themselves known and hopes those parties would shadow the current committee next year to make the transition as smooth as possible.
"It is our desire to see the parade continue for many decades to come but existing committee members believe it is also time for new blood, new energy and new direction and that is best served by having new people take over the operation of the parade," Chandler said. "We're looking forward to our retirement."
Planning for this year's parade on Friday, Aug. 20, is well underway. The theme is 'Alphabet Soup - From A to Z and Things in Between'.
The news conference featured the majority of the 10 committee members - who all volunteer their time - and, to a person, they're looking forward to passing the torch.
"On one hand it's very easy because it takes a lot of time, even at this time of year," Chandler said. "A lot of us don't have the time to commit to it . . . we don't need that responsibility and the work that comes with it. On the other hand, some of us have been involved since the first parade . . . it's hard to let go."
The budget for this year's parade will be $55,000. Most of that comes from corporate support but the committee counts on spectators on parade day for about $15,000 and that has proven to be quite a challenge year after year.
One committee member told The Guardian that each spectator donates an average 22 cents. Another three cents would make all the difference in the world, he said, and 50 cents per person would help the parade for years to come.
The committee always spends every dime it gets.
"While we end up covering all our costs, it completely drained our reserves," Chandler said of their current economic status, "leaving us with a zero balance heading into this year's parade. This represents a special challenge for the committee as some costs are necessarily incurred or committed prior to the parade while sponsorships and donations are often received parade day or later."
Expenses include helping bands come from the mainland.
Just the facts:
* It will cost approximately $55,000 to put this year's parade together. Of that money, $25,000 comes from corporate support, $10,000 to $15,000 comes from various government funding agencies and programs and $15,000 comes from donations made by the public along the parade route.
* The big expenses for the parade include helping defray the cost for bands to come over from the mainland and the big balloons.
* The current committee, presided over by Bill Chandler, is retiring after the 2011 parade.
* It takes more than 200 volunteers to operate the event on parade day.
* The committee says its financial situation is not dire but it's not great either. Its reserves are drained and the bank account currently shows a zero balance.
* The committee estimates the parade annually attracts approximately 65,000 people and if every single person who watched it donated 25-50 cents, it would solve the financial problems - as long as the corporate and government support held up as well.
* The theme for this year's parade, on Friday, Aug. 20, is 'Alphabet Soup - From A to Z and Things Between'.
* Committee members include Chandler, Harvey MacKinnon, Stewart Smith, Al Thomas, Kevin Smith, Carl Bradley, Wilfred Butler, Mary Claire Butler, Lisa Jackson, Moe Rodgerson, Sherri Hogan, Mark Fisher, Sibyl Cutcliffe and Chris Hancock.
* On the Net - www.goldcupparade.ca
