[Editor's note: this just came in our e-mailbox from Blackstone Audio in Ashland. A bunch of us attended this event last year, did about half our Christmas shopping (since Clan Murphy is very big on audiobooks) and it was fabulous. Great bargains for a great cause!]
Blackstone Audio Offers $5 Audio Books
Local Businesses & Bands Donate Prizes, Entertainment
In the wake of this season’s damaging fires, Southern Oregonians and Northern Californians are eager to support Jackson County Fire District 5 and Ashland Fire and Rescue. A perfect opportunity arrives this Saturday, September 11, when Blackstone Audio opens its warehouse doors for its second annual fundraiser. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Blackstone’s grounds in south Ashland will be the site of a massive Audio Book Sale and Family Fun Fair, with all proceeds going directly to these two fire fighting agencies.
“We’ll raise money through three raffles and the sale of over 50,000 copies of hundreds of new CD audio books for just $5 each,” says Blackstone owner and founder, Craig Black. “We raised $20,000 for Jackson County libraries last year and we can’t think of a better recipient this year than Fire District 5 and Ashland Fire and Rescue, especially in light of what happened near here earlier this summer and last year.”
Last month, a wayward fire claimed 11 homes near Oak Knoll Golf Course in Ashland; last year, the Tolman Creek blaze almost crossed onto Blackstone property, causing a massive evacuation.
Event sponsors, including the Barbara Allen Group, Solid Ground Landscape, Valley Rain Harvesting, Ashland Shop ‘N’ Kart and Coming Attractions Theatres, hope to raise $30,000
“We are surrounded by forests, which places us in a more hazardous situation. Last year’s fire showed us the stuff our fire fighters are made of!” says Barbara Allen, who, along with Samantha Batzer and Timothy Edwards at the Barbara Allen Group, donates a portion of every real estate commission to community charities. “We are proud of our firefighters and know how important it is for them to have the latest technology and tools in order to help the whole valley’s citizens.”
With its share of the funds, Ashland Fire and Rescue plans to purchase a thermal imaging camera.
“This device allows fire suppression crews to locate the seat of fires in hidden areas of structures and in very smoky conditions and also allows for quicker victim location when visibility has been compromised,” explains Fire Chief John Karns. “Ashland Fire and Rescue appreciates the efforts of Blackstone Audio in supporting the mission of area fire departments in providing quality emergency services to Ashland and the surrounding areas. In today’s economic climate, public safety organizations are challenged to meet the demands of fire protections, fire prevention, public education and emergency medical requests.”
Jackson County Fire District 5 will direct its funds toward updating equipment and training.
Other community supporters include an SOU film class that produced a public service announcement (PSA) that was run in all Ashland and Grants Pass Coming Attractions Theater venues through August; RVTV, which produced and aired a one-hour show about the event; and Ashland Home Net, which inserted event flyers in all their August and early September mailings.
Bands and birds add to carnival atmosphere
Five local bands are contributing to the fundraiser by playing for free, starting at 10 a.m. with Dayton Dean and the River King. The Karen Lovely Band follows at noon, Purple Cabbage Band at 1 p.m., Dave Storie Band at 2:15 and Turpentine at 3:15.
From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., animal handlers from Wildlife Images will introduce visitors to Kokoro, a Eurasian Eagle Owl.
Throughout the day, visitors are invited to:
* Snoop through Blackstone Audio’s immense warehouse, choosing new CD audio books for only $5 each and MP3 and cassette audio books for 2 for $5
* “Audition” to be a Blackstone narrator—right in the official recording studio (recordings may be downloaded later)
* Meet actual narrators, including several Oregon Shakespeare Festival actors who moonlight at Blackstone and who will be on-site
* Dunk Blackstone employees and professional firefighters in the dunk tank!
* Watch Michael D. Fox’s balloon sculpture demonstrations
* Get their faces painted by Pamela Joy
* Learn about eco-innovations with Valley Rain Harvesting and Solid Ground Landscape
* Meet fire safety experts at fire department and U.S. Forest Service booths
* Explore real fire trucks and fire safety vans
* Have photos taken by Pam Danielle on the fire vehicles (printed on-site or downloadable for a small fee)
* Hula hoop, listen to a storyteller and receive free massages
Over $1,500 of raffle prizes, plus raffles for audio books and real cash money!
Every 30 minutes, winning raffle tickets will be drawn! Nearly three dozen Rogue Valley businesses have donated prizes totaling almost $2,000!
· A weekend stay at Ashland Springs Hotel (plus movie tickets)
· Two $100 gift certificates from Shop ‘n’ Kart
· Dinners for two at the Peerless Restaurant, Dragonfly, Mihama, Pasta Piatti, Loft Brasserie, Great American Pizza, Senor Sam’s, Mucho Gusto and Sesame
· Boutique and spa gift certificates: Nimbus, Harry & David, Parma, Eufloria, Bloomsbury Books, Travel Essentials, CD or Not CD, Northwest Nature Shop, Hair City, Plaza Salon, Emz Blendz Soap Company, SoundPeace, Advanced Photo & Imaging, Treehouse Children’s Books
· Tickets to Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Cabaret Theatre, Coming Attractions Theatre and Ashland Independent Film Festival
· Wheel alignment by Les Schwab
There will be a FREE raffle for winner’s choice of audio books, donated by Blackstone Audio.
A 50/50 raffle will also take place—half of this raffle’s earnings will go to the winner, the other half to Jackson County Fire District 5 and Ashland Fire and Safety.
In addition to selling audio books for $5, Blackstone will also have T-shirts for purchase.
Blackstone founder Craig Black is quick to point out that every penny from this event goes to the fire departments. “It is not a commercial venture—Blackstone makes no money from the sale and fair,” he says. “We are honored to live in this beautiful community and we are delighted to help keep it safe by donating our time, effort and product toward state-of-the-art fire safety departments, equipment and training.”
Blackstone is the nation’s largest independent audio book company in the nation, with more than 4,500 unabridged titles available. The company, which was started in founder Craig Black’s Medford basement 23 years ago, has earned more than 150 Earphones Awards and 16 Audie Awards.
The Blackstone Audio Warehouse Sale and Family Fair is open to the public on Saturday, September 11, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at 31 Mistletoe Road, Ashland. Free shuttle starting at 9:30 a.m. between Bellview School, Shop ‘n’ Kart and Blackstone Audio grounds. Bicycle rack available on-site.
For more information: Devin Mahoney at 541-488-6035, www.BlackstoneAudio.com, or event@blackstoneaudio.com.