Songs of joy are emanating from the Salmon Arm Folk Music Society board room as the Shuswap Construction Industry Professionals (SCIP) have become a major Roots and Blues Festival sponsor.
When the idea of sponsoring to the tune of $100,000 was brought up at a recent SCIP meeting, it met with unanimous approval from the nine board members in attendance – subject to the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) by both parties.
The new sponsorship includes $100,000 of financial and in-kind support to renovate the building located at 541 Third Street SW, which will permanently house the Salmon Arm Folk Music Society and Salmon Arm Roots and Blues festival operations.
“It is community support like this that makes our festival so special. On behalf of the board I would like to thank SCIP for their generous contribution to the future of our festival,” said Lody Kieken, chair of the Salmon Arm Folk Music Society.
“It’s a great cause and we can help cut down some of the fixed costs,” said SCIP president Tim Dunn. “Their thing is to make music and ours is to build things. It’s a good fit.”
Renovations on the new property are anticipated to begin in the fall of 2015 and will include the raising and expansion of the current structure.
“From my perspective, it’s an example of how this community works together – two not for profits and the city all working toward the betterment of the cultural life of the city,” says Ian McDiarmid, music society board member. McDiarmid remains optimistic the other $100,000 needed to complete the office and sufficient storage space will be forthcoming.
He says that since the budgetary issues experienced last year, the festival has garnered incredible support from throughout the community.
SCIP is a non-profit association of more than 200 industry related businesses, trades and individuals whose goal is to ensure a more informed, professional and competitive construction industry in the Shuswap.