1 Day Block Party ( a view from ground zero)

This Weekend the Tucson Pima Arts Council, the Human Project and the Southern Arizona Aids Foundation, Downtown Parnership and with some other local groups for 1 day Block Party. A fundraiser meant to help local charities and provide a community facing lots of hardships with a good time.  The volunteers and organizers got up early to get started, they came energized to have a great time to meet new people, and raise money. Stone Ave was blocked off between Pennington and Congress, Porta-poties were placed in the Library plaza, DJ's lit up the area with a variety of hip hop and Techno. On hand was the mayor, a barber battle, and more. The theme was calling for unity a community without hate, bias or class warfare. All things that separate people. It seemed just what the city needed, but the city was not ready.

 The location is known to part of the downtown business district, a place filled from 9am to 5pm weekdays with the hustle and bustle of lawyers, bankers, business professionals, and people checking in with the courts. Yet after 5 pm and weekends it becomes a ghost town. The entertainment district is a block up the way. Businesses in the area were closed for the Easter Weekend. The only thing usually found in that part of downtown, is the homeless population that migrates from the library to the Park where they protest being criminalized. You will find young skaters rolling around and performing tricks with friends, a few tourists following the historical turquoise trail. A party to liven up the area is perfect for a part of downtown that is still economically dormant. But to do so, you need the neighborhood support.

As the party got started , people in the area lead by the music came to check it out. The ticket holders asked for $10. The homeless asked what it was about and how they could help. Without $10 they could not and walked away disgruntled and letting others know who came and let them know its not right to discriminate. Others with money felt $10 for a party without beer or performers was asking to much, even for charity. Others needed to get access to the area because inside was the the only atm their bank offered in downtown. Others needing to get in the buildings to get to work. The security and cops on hand spent much of their day not dealing with supporters over indulging in the party but people not in the party trying to get in for other needs, or running down people jumping the fence to sneek in for free.

As the day went on, the party had trouble getting more than thirty people in at any given time, the average was about 5 to 10 people. As a way of dealing with potential supporters they dropped the price of entry to $5 or a donation. More people flowed in, others still felt that was too much, others being the poor and homeless still felt segregated. friends of the organizers, volunteers and security were let in free, this not done in hidden view but in public where those being asked to contribute see the good ol' boy system in plain sight. The media form local networks came by to help promote the fundraiser to the community to bolster attendance. Local artists came by showing their support, one being Shawn Harris, a local rapper. Organizers said they choose not to get a alcohol permit, because its about promoting a healthy lifestyle.
.

The party kept going into the night, as it did you could find the security a little bit more tipsy, Staff enjoy themselves but felt frustrated at the lack of community support. Those who did pay to go in and those allowed in because they knew someone, had a blast and with a wrist band came and went, hoping between the establishments of the Tucson night seen and coming back when funds are gone, The homeless in the area were upset because a block away where they sleep on the sidewalk for noise keeping them from sleeping. The night seen downtown was low, most likely because of the Holiday weekend and it being the beginning of the month when people stay in because their bills emptied their bank accounts. The college crowd was not interested for the lack of adult beverages. Baby-boomers passing by, paid to get in just because its for a cause.

At the end the workers did a great job, they were not so sure they had made enough to really walk away with added funds. The homeless didn't sleep that night, and party goers got a little bit more of a scene in a place not offering it, local businesses like Rae's Place and Bernardo's Taco Shop lost an opportunity. Many vendors voiced it should have been better promoted.

The question becomes , how do we follow this up? How do we better promote such events? How do we get the poor involved who benefit from such charities events or keeps them from being left out? How do we get businesses to better participate by being open for such a fundraisers? The community wants beer and performers, the poor want to belong, the businesses want to make money, the charities need resources to act responsible in their calling. Unity means allowing everyone to come together, the poor are not going to allow for segregation or discrimination in the name of charity, the community cannot stand divided. Communication and cooperation is to vital success.