Impressions from an Audience Participant

We came to make to share our stories and plead our cases. Our audiences? Roanoke County's Board of Supervisors. I didn't envy them; having to sit there and listen to programs and activities that probably won't receive funding.

As audiences go, they were very quiet and listened attentively. They said "thank you" after each presentation and I knew they felt badly about the "buzzer" that sounded when we went over the time limit. We understood why they did it. We'd still be there, talking about what we give back to the community each and every day, and hoping to be more persuasive than the next organization waiting in the wings.

I found myself rooting for each and every organization; not just the arts and cultural groups, although I did give our member organizations a "thumbs up" and "high five" to those whose eyes found mine as they walked out the door or back to their seats. It's tough to get up there every year and if nothing else, I wanted them to know that I understand and appreciate what they're going through. Maybe they might do the same for me next time; that is, when they go back to A-Z and not Z-A (The Arts Council was second to the last in our presentation and plea for funding.)

I wanted to provide a personal testimony for the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce and their program for small business owners. We are a recent participant in their consulting services and Tom Tanner was incredibly helpful. I know we are just one of hundreds of organizations he has helped throughout the years.

Then we heard from Richard Wells and Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway. He talked about Gov Kaine's 400 acre conservation easement program, how the Friends are planting trees and the importance of raising awareness about this national treasure that's literally right in our backyards.

There was the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, Southwest Virginia Ballet, Center in the Square, Opera Roanoke and other usual arts and cultural suspects. All of which made their cases for programs and activities that help our economy, contribute to the necessity of life (a colleague recently told me that he was no longer happy with the term "contribute to the quality of life and felt arts and culture were necessities. I agree with him; hence my new phrase and mantra) and help area students succeed.

Perhaps there's a place for all of us. I encourage the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors to find a way for all of us to garner their support. If you can't honor our full requests, that's okay. Please know that any support is greatly appreciated and helps us leverage other/outside funding streams back into our communities.

We all have really tough jobs, but we love them dearly or we wouldn't be here. However, Roanoke County Supervisors have the toughest jobs right now. Let's support them and know that they must make difficult choices, but this is no reflection on the work we are doing. It's just the world we live in right now.