45 cities to celebrate Oscar Night America

Dec 20, 2004 by Ian Evans

You might think that only Hollywood’s A-list benefits from the Oscars, but through the Academy’s grassroots charity program, Oscar Night America, over $12 million has been raised for charities across the United States.

This year, forty-five cities will participate in the program that enables local charities to fundraise through Academy Awards® viewing parties. These parties get a touch of Tinseltown glamour as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences provides them posters, programs and the use of the Academy’s famous Oscar® logo. Last year alone, these fundraisers pulled in over $2 million.

These fantastic viewing parties will be held in the following cities this year: Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Greensboro/Winston-Salem, Greenville (South Carolina), Honolulu, Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Little Rock, Louisville, Memphis, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Nashville, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Orlando, Palm Beach, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland (Oregon), Providence, Raleigh, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, Tampa, Tucson and Washington, D.C.

“Oscar Night has always been a night for friends and families to gather 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.”

The Academy provides official Oscar Night America parties with the same printed Academy Awards show programs as those handed out at the ceremonies in Los Angeles and permits the party organizers to use the image of the Academy’s copyrighted Oscar statuette on invitations and other materials. The Academy also donates official commemorative posters and creates public service announcements for local broadcast.

The parties range from formal black-tie affairs to costume parties where guests have to dress like the stars. Only one charity per city participates and the events also get assistance from their local ABC-TV affiliate.

Charities that will benefit from Oscar Night America this year include the Arthritis Foundation, Ronald McDonald House, Family and Children’s Counseling Centers, American Red Cross, Special Olympics Texas, Utah Aids Foundation, Alzheimer’s Association, Minnesota AIDS Project, Capitol City AIDS Fund, Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation, Volunteers of America, Variety Club, The Ellie Fund, AIDS Interfaith Residential Services, Cure Parkinson’s, Child and Family Resources, California Film Institute, Miami Beach Film Society, and the Heartland Film Festival.