Release Date: Monday, December 15th 2008
Downtown Akron Partnership's First Night® Akron Reaches Out to Community
Akron, Ohio - In its annual community outreach initiative, Downtown Akron Partnership is again providing a night of
entertainment to residents who may not otherwise be able to afford to attend a New Year's Eve celebration. More than 1,600 First Night Akron admission buttons are divided among more than a dozen area social service organizations who coordinate distribution of the buttons to their clients.
The organizations include Access, Akron Urban League, Ardmore, Inc., Community Legal
Aid Services, East Akron Neighborhood Development Corporation, Greenleaf Family
Center, Harvest Home, Ronald McDonald House, Mature Services, Summit County
Children's Services, Summit County Community Action, Summit County MR/DD, United
Disability Services and the LeBron James Foundation.
The First Night Community Outreach Program is funded by Downtown Akron Partnership,
Glenn R. & Alice V. Boggess Memorial Foundation, Mary S. & David C. Corbin Foundation,
Laura R. and Lucian Q. Moffitt Foundation, R.C. Musson & Katherine M. Musson Charitable
Foundation, Murdough Foundation, Sisler McFawn Foundation, Lloyd L. and Louise K.
Smith Memorial Foundation and the LeBron James Foundation.
About First Night Akron
Now in its thirteenth year, First Night Akron is a New Year's Eve celebration unlike any other! This family-friendly, alcoholfree
celebration of the New Year brings the community together to experience a brief moment in time while creating
lasting New Year's Eve memories. Entertainment and fun featuring music, dance, theater, visual and interactive arts will
delight everyone throughout 18 different venues in downtown Akron! For a complete schedule of events, visit
www.firstnightakron.org.
Admission buttons give you access to all 18 First Night venues and nearly 100 performers. Buttons are $10 and children
under 10 are admitted FREE when accompanied by a button-wearing adult. Buttons are on sale at Acme Fresh Markets,
participating FirstMerit Bank branches, Akron Beacon Journal Customer Service Desk, Borders Books & Music at Chapel
Hill, Carolyn's Cupboard in Wadsworth, The Library Shop on Main, Lock 3 Park and Stage Left Boutique at the Akron
Civic Theatre. Buttons and First Night Akron souvenirs may also be purchased online until December 23 at
www.firstnightakron.org.
First Night Akron is a program of the Downtown Akron Partnership. Founding partners are the City of Akron and the Akron
Beacon Journal.
Thank you to our generous First Night sponsors! Platinum Site Sponsors: Acme Fresh Markets, Akron Beacon
Journal, Akron Community Foundation, City of Akron, GAR Foundation, Knight Center of Digital Excellence and John A.
McAlonan Fund. Gold Stage Sponsors: Cummins Bridgeway Power, FirstMerit Foundation, The Goodyear Tire &
Rubber Company, John S. Knight Center, METRO, OMNOVA Solutions Foundation and The Welty Family Foundation.
Silver Project Sponsors: The Mary S. and David C. Corbin Foundation, County of Summit, The LeBron James Family
Foundation, Labels & Letters, National City, Pat Catan's, Roetzel & Andress LPA, The Sisler McFawn Foundation and
Think Media Studios. Bronze Activity Sponsors: A. Schulman, Inc., Akron Aeros, Apple Growth Partners & Summit Data
Communications, Bridgestone Firestone Trust Fund, Brouse McDowell, LPA, Cohen & Company, CPAs, ComDoc, County
of Summit ADM Board, CVS Caremark, Eliokem, GOJO Industries, Inc., Lockheed Martin, Meggitt Aircraft Braking
Systems, The Margaret Clark Morgan Foundation, The Murdough Foundation, R.C. Musson & Katharine M. Musson
Charitable Foundation and Ohio Department of Alcohol & Drug Addiction Services. Special Friends: The Maynard Family
Foundation, Miller's Party Rental Center and Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition. Official Radio Partner: WKDD.
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