40 cities to raise money for charity with Oscar Night program

Jan 10, 2003 by Ian Evans

Film buffs worldwide throw their own Oscar® parties each year as they watch the annual ceremony beamed into their homes. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences took that one step further ten years ago, when they set up the Oscar Night America program to help local charities. Last year, these official Oscar Night parties raised over $1.6 million in over 37 cities. The total over the last decade is over ten million dollars. All money raised stays in each community; none of it goes to the Academy.

The Academy provides official Oscar Night America parties with the same printed Academy Award show programs as those handed out at the ceremonies in Los Angeles. The Academy also provides the official commemorative poster and permits the party organizers to use the image of the Academy’s copyrighted Oscar statuette on invitations and other materials.

This year, 40 cities from Sacramento to Atlanta will attempt to re-create the glamour and excitement of the Academy Awards ceremony, a nice distance from its humble beginnings in 1994 with parties in just two cities, Minneapolis and San Francisco.

The 40 cities hosting Oscar Night America parties in 2003 are Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Buffalo, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Greenville-Spartanburg, Honolulu, Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Louisville, Memphis, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Nashville, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, Raleigh-Durham, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Francisco, St. Louis, Tampa, Tucson and Washington, D.C. All of the parties will feature a live broadcast of the 75th Anniversary Academy Awards® Presentation, which is being televised by the ABC Television Network.

“Oscar Night has always been a night for friends and families to gather to root and cheer for their favorite films and stars,” said Ric Robertson, executive administrator of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. “This nationwide network of fundraising parties is a natural extension of that shared experience.”

Only one charity party in a given city may participate in Oscar Night America. Events are completely produced by local non-profit organizations, with the active participation of the local ABC-TV affiliate station. Charities presenting parties this year are the Arthritis Foundation, Ronald McDonald House, Cobb Family Resources, American Red Cross, Capital City Aids Fund, Alzheimer’s Association, Volunteers of America, Variety Club, Minnesota AIDS Project, The Ellie Fund, Chicago Academy of the Arts, USA Film Festival and other local arts foundations and film festivals.

Concept Marketing Development of Camarillo, California, will assist the Academy in coordination of the program for the tenth consecutive year.