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Halloween Committee Raising Funds From Pies… To The Face
By: Rachel Bailey
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Traditional bake sales are not something the Clean and Safe Halloween Committee is interested in to gain donations for added Halloween safety and security. Instead, they will use the pies to push into faces.
Brandon Thompson, who organized the Kickstarter campaign on behalf of the Halloween Committee, hopes to earn $4,000 in donations for added security measures.
Piggybacking off of popular viral challenges, such as the ALS ice bucket challenge, Thompson released a video challenging community leaders to donate to the campaign, or allow themselves to be pied in the face. His challenge extended from the mayor and members of city council to administrators, such as Ohio University's President McDavis.
He has DJed on stage during the block party for the past five years, and has encountered problems such as people climbing onto stage and causing trouble.
"Last year during my set, the barrier that keeps the crowds back broke and the music had to stop while it was repaired. This was a very intense time for the staff, as we don't have many people able to hold back the crowds, and the manpower to repair the barrier at the same time," Thompson said in his Kickstarter video. "Isn't it kind of silly that we are using wooden boards and three people to hold back a crowd of thousands?"
Jonathan Holmberg, one of the leaders of the Clean and Safe Halloween Committee, is challenging all of those he can reach through Facebook.
"In my video, I'm going to challenge anyone who is friends with me on Facebook who is an Ohio University alum," Holmberg said. "They remember what a good time that they had on Halloween – I hope they're willing to help everyone else enjoy it too."
The Clean and Safe Halloween Committee are responsible for organizing and coordinating the entertainment on Court Street during Halloween. They currently receive no funding from the city of Athens.
The Kickstarter campaign has seen $412 in donations from 12 people in under 24 hours towards a goal of $4,000.
The campaign can be viewed online at: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/891078565/athens-hallouween-40-kickstarter-athenshallouween4