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Announcement: Miscellaneous |
Planning in Full Swing for Rolling Thunder KC
by Sam
Email: sadams7 (at) kc.rr.com (verified) |
Current rating: 0
21 Jul 2003 |
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What ever happened to Rolling Thunder? It's coming in October! Don't miss your chance to get involved in the progressive event of the year. |
In March 2002, Rolling Thunder kicked off in Austin, Texas, attracting 7,000 people with its message of "putting the fun back into politics." By April 2002, the Kansas City planning group was already exploring ways to bring this nationally sponsored progressive county fair to our area.
After months of community meetings, interaction with the national group and preliminary planning, Rolling Thunder KC is scheduled for October 18, 2003 at Penn Valley Community College.
Now the fun really begins!
As in other cities such as Chicago, Tucson and Minneapolis where Rolling Thunder has already rolled through, a successful event will accomplish several things. It will band progressive organizations together and help them begin to pool their collective strengths. It will attract first-timers with an interest in current events who have never attended a political event. And it will generate important momentum for grassroots activism heading into the 2004 election cycle.
The national group is assisting the planning committee by attracting national speakers and musical groups, but Rolling Thunder KC’s ultimate success depends on its level of local support. Volunteers are needed for all aspects of the event, including publicity, ticket sales, fundraising, outreach, organizing speakers and workshops, booking talent, site coordination, first aid and more.
Since forming last April, the planning committee has met on a regular basis. Members have selected a venue, printed up T-shirts, and secured an appearance by labor activist, author and left-leaning radio personality Jim Hightower. Other tentative speakers include clean-election advocate Granny D and Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman, and negotiations are ongoing for additional nationally recognizable names.
Now that a firm date and venue are in place, Rolling Thunder general meetings will be scheduled on a regular basis. The next general meeting is set for Thursday, August 7 at 7 p.m. at Westport Library. The planning committee will update everyone on the latest developments, including the convergence of March to Miami participants and any newly confirmed speakers and performers. Committees will also work on their selected areas.
Persons who are interested in learning more about Rolling Thunder before the next general meeting can check the national web site at www.rollingthundertour.org or the local site at www.freespeechkc.org/rolling_thunder.htm. Those with existing Yahoo accounts can also do a Yahoo Groups search (click Groups on www.yahoo.com and enter "Rolling Thunder Kansas City" in the search box) and join a committee group to receive emails about individual committee happenings.
With dissatisfaction for Bush Administration policies growing and election-year issues such as health care, job growth, fair labor practices and environmental sustainability heating up, Rolling Thunder KC will be a timely and relevant community event. To receive meeting announcements and the latest event updates, contact Kris Cheatum at kris (at) kcnet.com and request that your name be added to the Rolling Thunder email list. |
See also:
http://www.freespeechkc.org/rolling_thunder.htm
http://www.rollingthundertour.org
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