ESTA's Behind the Scenes Raises Almost $40,000 at LDI

The ESTA Foundation raised almost $40,000 for Behind the Scenes in raffle ticket sales and contributions at the recent LDI show, which includes a generous donation from Vivian and George Gill, owners of Stage Equipment & Lighting. Thanks to the Altman Family $125,000 Challenge Grant, the amount raised is doubled, as the Altman Family will match all pledges and funds raised in the first year – dollar for dollar – up to $125,000.

The raffle drawing was held at 3pm on Sunday, November 13th at the LDI show amidst a crowd of hopeful ticket holders. The first prize, a red Harley-Davidson Sportster XL 883 with laced wheels, was won by Tina Wright, West Coast Regional Manager for Rose Brand who said, "When I heard about The ESTA Foundation's goal of reaching $125,000, along with the Altman's pledge to match, I wanted to be a part of it. It was easy to buy four tickets...winning the motorcycle is just a bonus to this good cause."

Second prize, a fabulous theatre trip to New York City, was won by Debra Picard of DB Sound in Punta Gorda, FL who commented, “What a thrill to win a round trip to New York City as a result of contributing to such a worthy cause.” The motorcycle raffle was inspired by an upcoming fund-raising event for Behind the Scenes. The Long Reach Long Riders (LRLR) will stage their annual cross-country motorcycle ride July 9–18, 2006.

The ESTA Foundation extends a special thank you to those who helped make our presence at LDI possible including the Altman Family, Sandy Contrata, Crossroads Harley-Davidson, LDI, I. Weiss, Bill Sapsis, Stage Equipment and Lighting, and Greg Williams.

Behind the Scenes will provide financial support to entertainment technology professionals when they are seriously ill or injured. The Foundation is raising money for the program from those in the industry — so together, we can take care of our own.

Individuals or companies can support Behind the Scenes by making donations online at www.estafoundation.org or calling 212-244-1421. All contributions are tax deductible, and all pledges and funds raised in the first year will be matched, up to $125,000, by the Altman Family.