SappyForever: Rescue Mission as Coffee Table Book

In early 2006 SappyFest was just an idea. 250 people showed up for that idea and those 250 people made SappyFest a reality. Now we are looking for 250 people to come together and support the idea of SappyFest again. This time by helping to create SappyForever, a unique and beautiful coffee table book of memories and dreams that came true.

In many ways SappyFest 8 was the best festival yet, but it was not a financial success. This was due in part to our aversion to corporate sponsorship and our commitment to our vision of a creative and inclusive space. Unfortunately we were about 100 people short of breaking even, we are $15,000 in debt. Our black dot is a reality but we have not given up hope.

We have a plan. It is called SappyForever. We are asking 250 people to buy a beautiful, hardcover archive of SappyFest for $100. We hope to raise $25,000 to pay off our debt from the great festival we just put on, with the additional $10,000 covering the production and publication of SappyForever. This 160 page collection will include photos, essays, memories and a visual history of the art and design that has come to define the best days of summer for us all. We will also be donating a copy to a library in every province and territory in Canada.

We are inviting each donor to contribute a photo of themselves or their friends at SappyFest to be included in a 'Presented by' section. This book is for all of us who were there, or wanted to be there and who believed Swamp Magic could happen.

This has been an incredibly difficult year for our organization. It may take time for SappyFest to rebuild, but we are committed to do so. This will also mark the last year that co-founders Paul Henderson and Jon Claytor will serve as artistic and creative directors. They will assist in the transition, passing on the torch to an amazing group of young people ready and willing to bring SappyFest into the future.

SappyFest has been a labour of love and a privilege for all who have been involved. So many of you have already given so much blood, sweat, tears and time to making the festival a success. The future is ambiguous and exciting and it depends on you.

Are there 250 people out there ready to support this beautiful idea, this indelible memory and this ambiguous future? We hope so. We have our hopes up. We believe and we hope you do too.