Gloversville City Clerk Jenni Mazur told the Common Council Tuesday night that Railfest 16 netted $2,504, about 10 percent of the Gloversville Recreation Commission’s fundraising goal of $20,000 to $25,000 for playground equipment for the new Elk Street Park expansion.
Mazur, the city’s liaison to the volunteer Recreation Commission, explained that Railfest 16, held Aug. 13, cost about $5,100, with most of the expense coming from the fireworks show, as well as the cost of portable toilets and bounce houses.
But, the huge attendance at the festival helped the event pay for itself and turn a profit. Mazur said Railfest 16 made about $3,404 from the sale of concessions, raffles, wristbands and buffer tank fees. He said the event also had $4,200 in sponsorship money paid by businesses.
Mazur said the Recreation Commission’s city events have raised a combined $15,000 this year.
“Which is really unprecedented, at least for as long as I’ve been around [liaison to the Recreation Commission],” she said. “The biggest area we’ve made money this year has been in vendor fees. We’ve seen a huge increase in vendors at our events, almost double for the top four festivals.”
Mazur told the Council that the Recreation Commission has so far collected approximately $6,240 from vendor fees, including the 7th Annual Adirondack Southern Food and Wine Festival in May, as well as the Railfest and vendors already ‘ve committed to upcoming events like the September 24th Bacon & Brew Fest at the Farmer’s Market Pavilion and the October 7th Fall Fest at Trail Station Park.
“We already have twice as many sellers [lined up for the Bacon & Brew Fest] than last year, so I’m sure it will be a great day”, she said.
Mazur explained how the Recreation Commission uses the money it generates by hosting city events.
“So, as you know, what we do now is we take the money that’s raised and of course we use it for our expenses for next year’s events, but we also use it to improve the parks the city,” he said. “Last week we put out the sponsorship flyer where somebody, a business, an individual, anybody can sponsor a specific team going to the park, we basically raised, same as Spring Street, $20,000 to $25,000 wish list. We met our goal last year, so I’m sure we’ll make it this year.”
A video featuring Recreation Commission Chairman Jeremy Krajewski and Mayor Vince DeSantis was posted on the city’s Facebook page Wednesday, explaining how members of the public can get involved in supporting the extension of Elk Street Park to Washington Street.
“We at the Recreation Commission have a long history of fundraising and making upgrades, that’s part of our main goal,” Krajewski said in the Facebook video. “In 2019, just before COVID hit, through Railfest and other events and through generous donations from the community and businesses, we were able to raise nearly $23,000. This gave us the ability to revitalize Spring Street Park.
“We have installed new playgrounds, swings, picnic benches, grills, etc [Americans with Disabilities Act] a compatible water source, and we really made it more welcoming to the community as a whole.
Krajewski encouraged any person or business interested in sponsoring any of the improvements planned for Elk Street Park to contact Mazur’s office.
DeSantis praised the Recreation Commission’s efforts during Tuesday night’s Common Council meeting.
“These events are really good for the community, people look forward to them and they’re very popular and what’s more, despite all the volunteer hours they put in, the benefits become real. permanent improvements in our parks and our recreation facilities, which is really a double win for the city,” DeSantis said. “So, [the Recreation Commission] it is one of the most productive, if not the most productive, volunteer groups we have. So we really owe them a huge thank you.”
