To the Editor:
I am the president of The Jazz Lovers’ Club of The Villages.
For years we have used the theater rooms in various rec centers to hold fundraising concerts to support our Bob Washington Jazz Scholarships. We have featured The Glenn Miller Orchestra, The Duke Ellington Orchestra, The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, and The Four Freshmen.
I have a contract with the Four Freshmen to perform on December 8 at Mulberry Rec Center. I have always been able to have around 400 seats, depending on the particular center, in auditorium seating. This would provide us with a profit that would go a long way toward helping fund our annual $15,000 award package.
I am now confronted by a change to 265 seats – a level that will cost more money than I will take in in tickets. The Paisans Club is not the only club affected. While our monthly meeting with professional live jazz hasn’t been materially changed, our fundraising capabilities certainly have. We are looking at alternative venues and methods of appeal. We have been an active club in The Villages since 1996 and value the support of the Recreation Department and jazz-loving Villagers.
Walter Griffith
Village of Poinciana
