I’m sure you’ve read many calls for help these last few months, most likely from worthy causes who have been hit hard by the economic downturn. So far Hartfel has held off from making such a plea, as we all understand that this past year has been difficult for everyone.

Unfortunately, and to my great sadness, I am now forced to turn once again to our loyal supporters who have given us so much over the past eight years – or face closing our doors for good. The Box Dance Studio has faced an extreme drop in student enrollment this Fall Quarter, and as many of you know, the Box is the primary revenue-generating source for the Hartfel Ballet. Without the income from students we find ourselves unable to pay the bills and keep the business running. Economic projections for the coming year have been positive, but unless we have help now, it is unlikely we will still be in business when the recovery comes to pass. But why support Hartfel? Why, when so many people have lost homes and jobs, should people still be caring about the arts? Because it is the arts that people turn to when their lives take a turn for the worse. It is the arts that are there to uplift and inspire when bad times come around again – which they always do, in one form or another. In times of corruption and greed, of loss, the arts become more important, even more essential, and yet it is then that they are taken the most for granted.

Imagine a world without color, without music, without beauty – and that is the world you will be left with if the arts are allowed to die.

So, please, reach into your pocket and give $10, or $20, or $50, whatever you can afford, to keep Hartfel from disappearing. If every person on our mailing list gave just $5, we would have enough to pay expenses for 2 ½ months. $5 is the cost of a latte, less than the cost of a movie ticket. Read the article on page 3, to learn more about the new dancers that have joined us the last three months, and find out what Hartfel means to them. By donating to Hartfel you ensure that people will not only be able to view the arts, but also to continue to create it. You know how hard we’ve worked over the last eight years.

For those of you have been supporting us this year, or who have contributed in the past, you are the reason we continue to survive. You invested in us in the past – don’t see that investment go to waste by failing to act now, when your help is needed the most. We come to work every day, without pay, without recognition, and do our job. To create a world that is worth living in. Now is the time to do your part, and make sure we succeed.