Ravinia Festival Contributes Record $781,000 to Hometown Highland Park

The not-for-profit Ravinia Festival has contributed $780,655 to its hometown of Highland Park, announced festival President and CEO Welz Kauffman. This is the third year of a 10-year agreement through which the festival donates 5 percent of its annual gross ticket revenue to the city for its use as needed. This is the largest amount donated to date, following $758,000 in 2010 and $710,000 in 2009, for a total of nearly $2.25 million.

“We are so appreciative of the contributions Ravinia Festival makes to our community as a world-class performing arts center, a popular social destination, and as an economic engine for our city,” said Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering. “It has been and continues to be our pleasure to partner with Ravinia Festival.”

“Ravinia Festival and the City of Highland Park have grown up together, and this agreement demonstrates that when Ravinia is successful, Highland Park is successful,” Kauffman said. “Highland Park is an extraordinary community filled with consumers of culture. That’s one reason why Ravinia is able to thrive and evolve with such improvements as our new grand entrance and underpass.”

Prior to this agreement, Ravinia supported Highland Park by contributing more $2.7 million over 13 years to local not-for-profits through YEA Highland Park, which distributed these funds to agencies dedicated to youth, education, the arts and social programs. The city of Highland Park continues to fund YEA with a portion of Ravinia’s annual contribution under the new arrangement.

A study conducted by an independent research firm determined that Ravinia Festival is a boon to the local economy, indicating that concertgoers spend an average of $60 to $90 outside the venue with each visit. The venue also hires many local residents, with over 100 employed in 2009, not counting police officers and restaurant staffs. The venue also waives $100,000 in fees for Township High School District 113 to graduate from the pavilion stage in two separate ceremonies each June.

For more information on the festival, please visit Ravinia.org. Ravinia welcomes all festival fans to follow, connect and interact online at backstage.ravinia.org, facebook.com (search Ravinia Festival) and twitter.com/raviniafestival. Ravinia Festival is a not-for-profit organization.