City to Mummers: Sorry, You Have to Pay
Mummers ask for parade supporters to donate to the cause
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The city has told the Mummers that they will not provide more than $300,000 for parade services. Now, they need to raise $47,000 before New Years.
In past years, times were good for the Mummers. They had big sponsors for their New Years Day parade and the city chipped in up to $1 million for security, clean up, and prizes for the various parade groups.
Now, the mayor says his $300,000 offer is the city's final for the Mummers. And they will have to chip in up to $47,000 of their own to pay for things.
“We are generally optimistic that hum, that we'll have a parade,” Mayor Nutter’s spokesman Doug Oliver said Wednesday.
The city's point is take it or leave it, but the Mummers’ attorney George Badey says its just not fair.
“I think it's important to know that the mummers are really, really behind the eight ball now financially because they had their prize money taken away. So they spent already on their on the costumes. They spent all of this money already in anticipation of prize money, which has been taken away,” said Badey.
“Today, they city made its last and best final offer, the details of which I think everybody is already familiar with. So they'll take that back and then we expect to hear back from them by tomorrow,” said Oliver.
The garments, the feathers and beads are all costs the mummers already pay -- thousands and thousands of dollars are invested by each parade unit.
Now they'll have to pay out $47,000 more, the Mummers say, is a real stumbling block they'll have to think about.
“I would like everybody to know that there is a web site that's up now called SaveTheMummers.com. And we want everybody in the city to go to SaveTheMummers.com. Click on that website, donate and help the mummers make it,” said Badey.
The captains will make a decision in a closed-door meeting Wednesday night. City officials said a decision must be made by the close of business Thursday.
To donate to the Mummers Fund, visit SaveTheMummers.com.
Posted Friday, Jul 17, 2009 - 11:00 PM EST
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