There have recently been some negative comments about Carving Festivals in general and Addison in particular by one individual. We can not speak for the other Festivals but we hope everyone knows we operate the Addison Festival as a fund raiser for the Somerset County Blind Center and have donated $73,800.00 to the Blind Center in the past five years. This money helps the Blind Center employ blind workers and helps people with impaired vision to live better lives. We find it hard to understand why anyone would want this Festival to end and deprive these people of the much needed help.
To clarify some misinformation, we provide each carver with $20.00 worth of tickets for our Food Trailer to purchase anything the want. We have two free dinners during the Festival. We have free coffee every morning and free beverages every night. We offer $150.00 in cash to help with travel expenses to most carvers that are willing to donate a carving to a sponsor. And we do go around and offer water to the carvers.
The auction this year was not what we would have wanted, but there were circumstances beyond our control and nothing we could do. It rained for most of the auction (over 2 Inches of rain in 4 hours at the auction) and we are sure the bad weather forecast kept many bidders away.
Most of the carvers come back every year to our festival. We must be doing something right.
Tom and Don
PS.
If anyone has any Questions please give us a call or E-mail...
For all the results of what have been done in the last 5 years click on my web-site...
http://cedar-savage.com
Happy Safe Carving...
