07-06-2012, 08:36 AM
Dear Friends and Supporters of Hawaii’s Volcano Circus (aka “S.P.A.C.E.”),
We are writing to you today with an urgent plea for help. Our financial situation has become dire, and we need immediate assistance for our legal defense fund. We are so grateful for our friends and benefactors; so many of you wrote wonderful testimonial letters on our behalf to the Planning Commission. Thank you for supporting us, and please consider this opportunity to further contribute.
Please donate to our Legal Defense Fund here:
https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=vK0KUNBcpzKPGEeUqMKhoc6Auel8NqaUEV2dYS62koQmIZR-Zy_f7qwAIFq&dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1f8e263663d3faee8d8494db9703d295b4a2116480ee01a05c
As you may know, our recent meeting with the Windward Planning Commission on May 3rd was a success. The revocation of our Special Use Permit was deferred pending a follow up meeting in December. This will allow us time to submit an amendment to our permit so that we may resume events and activities that serve the Puna Makai community.
(For more information about the May 3rd meeting, click on these articles from the Tribune Herald: http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/sect...today.html and http://www.westhawaiitoday.com/sections/...hance.html)
What you may not know is that the Special Use Permit (SP) process is an arduous and expensive one, especially when there are unforeseen challenges along the way. Because our budget is limited, we worked on this process for two years on our own, without legal assistance. However, we finally got to the point where we realized it was taking too long and we were not qualified to continue without the help of professionals. We hired attorneys that specialize in the SP process. They are the same attorneys that the Hawaii Academy of Arts and Sciences (“HAAS”) used to successfully get their SP.
Even though our attorneys are giving us professional courtesy discounts due to our non-profit status, we are still facing hefty legal bills. So far, we have raised and spent over $4000 towards our legal fees, which is 22% of last year’s total annual budget ($88,000). Payroll to our limited staff is now becoming severely compromised. Another debilitating challenge that we are facing right now is our inability to host performances and other fundraising events at our performing arts center, as ordered by the Planning Commission.
Hence, the purpose of this letter. We are soliciting donations for our legal defense fund and to cover emergency operating expenses. As a friend and supporter of SPACE and/or Bellyacres, we are reaching out to you and your network of resources to ask for help. Donations in every amount are valued and useful. Even $1 adds up. If you’ve ever had the desire to be a part of our mission and purpose, this is a fabulous way you can do it.
Please donate to our Legal Defense Fund here:
https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=vK0KUNBcpzKPGEeUqMKhoc6Auel8NqaUEV2dYS62koQmIZR-Zy_f7qwAIFq&dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1f8e263663d3faee8d8494db9703d295b4a2116480ee01a05c
Please spread the word. We are so incredibly grateful to everyone who is and has been a part of our community…literally and figuratively. Of course, we are always open to non-traditional or non-monetary donations, as well. Please contact us with your ideas. All donations are tax-deductible and receipts are available upon request.
Mahalo nui!
More information about S.P.A.C.E. and HVC:
Hawaii’s Volcano Circus (HVC) is a non-profit 501©3 organization founded in 1984 to provide quality culture and arts enrichment programs in Puna Makai, on the Big Island of Hawai'i. Our mission is to creatively promote a sustainable local community at Seaview Performing Arts Center for Education (SPACE). Through outreach programs and services, HVC helps to improve conditions in the broader community by engaging and connecting youth and adults in educational, agricultural, artistic, cultural, environmental and sustainability activities. We host a public elementary charter school, various classes and camps in performing arts for youth and adults, and a regular weekly Artists/Farmers Market. Upon the occasion of our 25th Anniversary in Feb. 2012, we received praise from many government officials including:
HVC/SPACE “serves as the gathering place for a community of 1,200 homes and 3,000 residents.... I would like to commend all those who reinforce your organization in providing numerous services to the public along with my deepest appreciation for your hard work”. - Gov. Neil Abercrombie
HVC/SPACE provides a “positive, enriching, safe place that helps motivate the whole community....” - Senator Daniel Inouye
Congratulations to SPACE/HVC for “a long list of public service, including the support of the Puna Makai community and other charitable events…[and] many outstanding accomplishments.” - Senator Daniel AkakaArts Education
HVC offers educational services and an arts workshop curriculum to the public, including school-age children, targeting those living in isolated rural communities. Each year, the organization offers dozens of workshops in performing arts such as circus, dance, gymnastics, and yoga, providing more than 500 individuals per year with specialized training and activities in the arts. 50% of those attending workshops and educational activities are children.
Performance
Since its inception in 1984, HVC has presented hundreds of performances throughout the State of Hawaii, in schools, libraries and at community events. It has captivated the hearts and minds of more than 5,000 persons each year through local arts entertainment. In 2002, HVC created the Puna Performing Arts Festival to stimulate community involvement of other local arts organizations, to offer arts education and to improve self-esteem among youth in Hawaii’s Puna District. HVC proudly coordinated and presented this Festival in 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2008. In each of these years, after attending several months of workshops and rehearsals, over 120 performers presented their talents and passions to their local community in performances.
Seaview Performing Arts Center for Education (SPACE)
In 2007, HVC built a performing arts center (Seaview Performing Arts Center for Education, SPACE) with the help of funders including the Atherton Family Foundation ($7500 in 1997) and our community and established a variety of successful programs. SPACE now serves as the hub for the plethora of programs organized by HVC through which individuals discovering and growing in the performing arts can learn to showcase their talents with pride and confidence.
SPACE Farmer’s Market
Since the building of SPACE in 2007, HVC has hosted a weekly artists/farmers market that attracts 40-50 vendors and over 300 patrons every Saturday morning. Community members and tourists come to share conversation, enjoy live music, and shop among local wares ranging from fresh fruits and vegetables to adornments and homemade soaps, all handmade, grown and sold directly by the Big Island’s artists and farmers. The mission of this market is to promote sustainability and be a vital part of the local economy by providing a safe, village-based marketplace for the community to buy and sell goods and services produced on the Big Island.
www.hawaiispace.com
We are writing to you today with an urgent plea for help. Our financial situation has become dire, and we need immediate assistance for our legal defense fund. We are so grateful for our friends and benefactors; so many of you wrote wonderful testimonial letters on our behalf to the Planning Commission. Thank you for supporting us, and please consider this opportunity to further contribute.
Please donate to our Legal Defense Fund here:
https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=vK0KUNBcpzKPGEeUqMKhoc6Auel8NqaUEV2dYS62koQmIZR-Zy_f7qwAIFq&dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1f8e263663d3faee8d8494db9703d295b4a2116480ee01a05c
As you may know, our recent meeting with the Windward Planning Commission on May 3rd was a success. The revocation of our Special Use Permit was deferred pending a follow up meeting in December. This will allow us time to submit an amendment to our permit so that we may resume events and activities that serve the Puna Makai community.
(For more information about the May 3rd meeting, click on these articles from the Tribune Herald: http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/sect...today.html and http://www.westhawaiitoday.com/sections/...hance.html)
What you may not know is that the Special Use Permit (SP) process is an arduous and expensive one, especially when there are unforeseen challenges along the way. Because our budget is limited, we worked on this process for two years on our own, without legal assistance. However, we finally got to the point where we realized it was taking too long and we were not qualified to continue without the help of professionals. We hired attorneys that specialize in the SP process. They are the same attorneys that the Hawaii Academy of Arts and Sciences (“HAAS”) used to successfully get their SP.
Even though our attorneys are giving us professional courtesy discounts due to our non-profit status, we are still facing hefty legal bills. So far, we have raised and spent over $4000 towards our legal fees, which is 22% of last year’s total annual budget ($88,000). Payroll to our limited staff is now becoming severely compromised. Another debilitating challenge that we are facing right now is our inability to host performances and other fundraising events at our performing arts center, as ordered by the Planning Commission.
Hence, the purpose of this letter. We are soliciting donations for our legal defense fund and to cover emergency operating expenses. As a friend and supporter of SPACE and/or Bellyacres, we are reaching out to you and your network of resources to ask for help. Donations in every amount are valued and useful. Even $1 adds up. If you’ve ever had the desire to be a part of our mission and purpose, this is a fabulous way you can do it.
Please donate to our Legal Defense Fund here:
https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=vK0KUNBcpzKPGEeUqMKhoc6Auel8NqaUEV2dYS62koQmIZR-Zy_f7qwAIFq&dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1f8e263663d3faee8d8494db9703d295b4a2116480ee01a05c
Please spread the word. We are so incredibly grateful to everyone who is and has been a part of our community…literally and figuratively. Of course, we are always open to non-traditional or non-monetary donations, as well. Please contact us with your ideas. All donations are tax-deductible and receipts are available upon request.
Mahalo nui!
More information about S.P.A.C.E. and HVC:
Hawaii’s Volcano Circus (HVC) is a non-profit 501©3 organization founded in 1984 to provide quality culture and arts enrichment programs in Puna Makai, on the Big Island of Hawai'i. Our mission is to creatively promote a sustainable local community at Seaview Performing Arts Center for Education (SPACE). Through outreach programs and services, HVC helps to improve conditions in the broader community by engaging and connecting youth and adults in educational, agricultural, artistic, cultural, environmental and sustainability activities. We host a public elementary charter school, various classes and camps in performing arts for youth and adults, and a regular weekly Artists/Farmers Market. Upon the occasion of our 25th Anniversary in Feb. 2012, we received praise from many government officials including:
HVC/SPACE “serves as the gathering place for a community of 1,200 homes and 3,000 residents.... I would like to commend all those who reinforce your organization in providing numerous services to the public along with my deepest appreciation for your hard work”. - Gov. Neil Abercrombie
HVC/SPACE provides a “positive, enriching, safe place that helps motivate the whole community....” - Senator Daniel Inouye
Congratulations to SPACE/HVC for “a long list of public service, including the support of the Puna Makai community and other charitable events…[and] many outstanding accomplishments.” - Senator Daniel AkakaArts Education
HVC offers educational services and an arts workshop curriculum to the public, including school-age children, targeting those living in isolated rural communities. Each year, the organization offers dozens of workshops in performing arts such as circus, dance, gymnastics, and yoga, providing more than 500 individuals per year with specialized training and activities in the arts. 50% of those attending workshops and educational activities are children.
Performance
Since its inception in 1984, HVC has presented hundreds of performances throughout the State of Hawaii, in schools, libraries and at community events. It has captivated the hearts and minds of more than 5,000 persons each year through local arts entertainment. In 2002, HVC created the Puna Performing Arts Festival to stimulate community involvement of other local arts organizations, to offer arts education and to improve self-esteem among youth in Hawaii’s Puna District. HVC proudly coordinated and presented this Festival in 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2008. In each of these years, after attending several months of workshops and rehearsals, over 120 performers presented their talents and passions to their local community in performances.
Seaview Performing Arts Center for Education (SPACE)
In 2007, HVC built a performing arts center (Seaview Performing Arts Center for Education, SPACE) with the help of funders including the Atherton Family Foundation ($7500 in 1997) and our community and established a variety of successful programs. SPACE now serves as the hub for the plethora of programs organized by HVC through which individuals discovering and growing in the performing arts can learn to showcase their talents with pride and confidence.
SPACE Farmer’s Market
Since the building of SPACE in 2007, HVC has hosted a weekly artists/farmers market that attracts 40-50 vendors and over 300 patrons every Saturday morning. Community members and tourists come to share conversation, enjoy live music, and shop among local wares ranging from fresh fruits and vegetables to adornments and homemade soaps, all handmade, grown and sold directly by the Big Island’s artists and farmers. The mission of this market is to promote sustainability and be a vital part of the local economy by providing a safe, village-based marketplace for the community to buy and sell goods and services produced on the Big Island.
www.hawaiispace.com
Assume the best and ask questions.
Punaweb moderator
Punaweb moderator