New York, NY – The Big Apple Circus, which announced several weeks ago that it was in dire financial condition and launched a $2 million fundraising campaign to Save the Circus, said today that it is low on cash and that unless it receives a significant infusion of funds by Friday, it will have to cancel performances for next season and possibly for good.
“When we went public with our urgent call for help, we needed to raise $250,000 a week over a two-month period to survive. As of today, we have not met that goal,” said executive director Will Maitland Weiss. “Several large supporters have made pledges, but those are contingent on our getting much closer to our target. And so, our cash is dwindling. We are at a point where we are living day to day, week to week. We must raise $600,000 by Friday in order to preserve our circus for the upcoming season and beyond.”
As of June 22, the organization had raised more than $400,000 in cash and a further $300,000 in pledged contributions from its board, ticket buyers, current and former staff members, and others, with $90,000 of that from 900 donors to their online crowdfunding site, www.savethecircus.org. With only $400,000 in cash received to date, cash flow is in critical condition, and unless the organization raises another $600,000 in cash by Friday, performances for the fall season will be cancelled, and it is unlikely they will be resumed in future seasons.
“We’ve been heartened by the outpouring of love and support from our fans, who have made contributions large and small in response to our appeal,” said Big Apple Circus artistic director Guillaume Dufresnoy. “The Big Apple Circus is a cultural treasure that has brought joy and wonder to families and children of all ages and abilities, all ethnic and cultural backgrounds, and all income levels for 38 years, and we want to be here for them for generations to come.”
Contributions can be made online at www.savethecircus.org, or by contacting Lauren Braun at (646) 616-6829.
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