CONEY ISLAND

Coney Island Gala: Hurricane Sandy Jeopardized Circus Sideshow's Future -
Here's How You Can Help

 

The Huffington Post
By Andy Campbell
03/06/2013
The famous Coney Island Circus Sideshow is about to become a no-show.
Much of the neighborhood in Brooklyn was under five feet of water during Hurricane Sandy, devastating much of the Coney Island USA attractions -- including its 1917 landmark building that included a gift shop, bar and sideshow theater -- and resulting in damages of about $405,000.
Now the Easter opening of New York City's most beloved destination is in jeopardy. The people who bring you the Mermaid Parade, the Coney Island Circus Sideshow and the Coney Island Museum are running out of fundraising options.
"Everything was destroyed," Coney Island USA head Dick Zigun told HuffPost Weird News. "We simply cannot get reopened on time without help."
Coney Island needs your help to raise money (and party down) on Saturday.
The Coney Island USA Spring Gala is here, and this time the burlesque-and-booze-fest is for a good cause. The four-hour event will be held Saturday, March 9 at Webster Hall in New York City, and will feature sideshow legends, go go girls, DJs, celebrities, and raffles. Tickets go for $60-250, depending on how much free booze and V.I.P. access you want.
"We are tooting our own horn, but are letting people know that it was this organization that started the neo-burlesque movement thirty years ago," Zigun said. "This is going to be the best party yet."
 If you can't make it to the event, you can still donate to the Coney Island USA recovery effort by clicking here:
http://shop.coneyisland.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=1648