Hello all my astute fellow IMIXERs..I am elated that this topic is finally getting some play all over… As a rep for Hawks and intimately evolved with organizing our presentation for this year “Splendor of Egypt” a couple of things must be said…I have personally participated in these meetings WIADCA (West Indian American Day Carnival Association) in utter dis-belief and disgust! WIADCA is not running the carnival the police are! They dictate to WIDICA what must be done and they implement the city’s policy. What we need is a union (Carnival Band Leaders Association) like CBLAC which we are partly responsible for forming. Because of the lack of funding it can only do so much. So we the organizations continue to be disrespected!! What is Hawks going to do about it…well this year we were pressured by our die hard supporters to come out one more time…for the sake of our supporters we will try our hardest!! Here is a breakdown:

1 Tuck with Music and all the trimmings = 12K
1 Truck with band = 15k
1 Construction of costumes & stipends = depends on number of masqueraders
1 Register to play MAS with WIDICA = $100-$500 depending on how much noise you make to the City about WIDICA, 2003 Hawks will have to pay $500 as punishment for our boycott last year!
1 Truck with refreshments = 4K
1 MAS infrastructure = 4k (season)

Total Estimated Cost $35,000 (excluding cost of manufacturing of costumes) for a “big band.” This infrastructure can pay for itself if you have enough masqueraders, but if you don’t…yuh shit a duck!

The Hawks First Fridays are a way of trying to raise funds for all of our programs! Scholarships, our computer school for kids and our cultural programs like the MAS. Last year it was a decision of the school over the MAS. This year it is by request…but I can tell you 2003 May be Hawks Final Year in protest if New York City/WIDICA does not reinvest in our community…Look for us in a city near you! Hell all the other ethnic groups get what they want…So we appreciate all the continued support. We will insure that the $$$ get spent on things that support the community and not the corruption that is currently taking place… We are a not-for-profit 501 c 3 and our books are open for public review on the net… Become enlighten and “Dare to forge the future” No need for us to write letters..Mary Markowitz is a long standing member of Hawks.. and for those of you who mentioned that he does a lot for our community, I agree..but don’t be fooled..open your eyes a little wider..you see that last name that someone mentioned..that’s all I have to say! He is a Hawks Member and Brooklyn Borough president, so why is it so difficult for an organization that he is a part of to get treated farily…Rhetorical question…

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