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The first of those fundraisers is Saturday – a motorcycle and car rally that will conclude with a car show.
Participants can meet at 8 a.m. at either the South Hill Mall or Frontier Park in Graham to drive their vehicles en masse to Cheney Stadium in Tacoma, where a car show will take place from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The event is the brainchild of Kieran Murry, who sponsored two charity fundraisers earlier this year called Fit for a Cause.
Murry said he saw a News Tribune article about the Daffodilians’ financial trouble this summer and wanted to help.
“It just hit me, we just can’t let a 75-year tradition just go away without somebody put- ting up a fight,” Murry said. “I told our sponsors that I want to try to be the group that goes and saves the Daffodil Festival, and everybody said, ‘Yes, let’s do it.’”
Murry said he expects the line of cars to disrupt traffic along South Meridian Street between Frontier Park and the South Hill Mall from 9 to 10 a.m. A motorcade of five Pierce County sheriff’s deputies will accompany the rally to redirect traffic as needed, he said.
Rally participants are requested to bring $20 per vehicle to benefit the Daffodil Festival and as much food as they can to go to the Emergency Food Network.
The Daffodil Festival fell on hard times this year when donations failed to come in as expected and fuel costs rose.
The Daffodilians garaged the festival’s traveling float in July, canceling appearances at 11 parades throughout the Northwest to save money.
The group was $40,000 in the red after this year’s parade, and had to dip into its savings to make ends meet, said fundraising director Robyn DeLorm.
Only about $60,000 remains in the organization’s savings account, DeLorm said, and it costs about $250,000 to put on the parade each year.
That includes the cost of buy- ing gowns and meals for the Daffodil Princesses elected by Pierce County high schools each year. In 2008, the festival featured 23 princesses who competed for the title of Daffodil Queen.
DeLorm said the group still needs to raise about $150,000 to ensure that there is a Grand Floral Parade next April. The parade runs through Puyallup, Orting, Sumner and Tacoma.
“We’ve got enough money to run our office through December,” DeLorm said. “We’re hoping our fundraisers will carry us through the parade.”
The Daffodilians are putting on five new fundraisers between now and April, including the car rally Saturday and a Halloween Costume Party Oct. 26.
Donations from individuals will also play a big part in keeping the group financially solvent, spokeswoman Susan McGuire said.
“We’re still looking for every nickel and dime,” McGuire said. “Everyone can help make a difference.”
Melissa Santos: 253-552-7058
RALLY FOR A CAUSE
Rally parades convene at 8 a.m. Saturday at the following locations:
Cars and motorcycles
• Frontier Park, 21800 S. Meridian Street in Graham
• South Hill Mall, in the Sears parking lot
Motorcycles only
• Southcenter Mall in Tukwila, in the Nordstrom parking lot
• South Sound Center in Lacey, in the Sears parking lot
All participants are asked to bring a $20 donation for the Daffodil Festival and food to benefit the Emergency Food Bank.
