Uke Fest West is a three-day celebration of all things "ukulele." Uke Fest West will take place in Santa Cruz on April 22, 23 and 24, 2004. Uke Fest West is being produced through a collaboration of the Ukulele Club of Santa Cruz (www.ukulele-club-santa-cruz.com) in Santa Cruz, California and the Ukulele Hall of Fame Museum in Cranston, Rhode Island (www.ukulele.org).

Uke Fest West is being created, promoted and will be staffed entirely by volunteers from the Ukulele Club of Santa Cruz and The Ukulele Hall of Fame Museum. No one will be paid for their time or effort. As Jim Beloff said so well in one of his wonderful original songs, it is all for the "Love of Uke." All of the proceeds of Uke Fest West will be used to support and expand the world of ukuleles, ukulele musicians, and ukulele music.

The Ukes for Kids Program

One of the objectives of Uke Fest West will be to give away hundreds of ukuleles to kids! Our Ukes for Kids program will be administered by the Ukulele Club of Santa Cruz and the Ukulele Hall of Fame Museum in cooperation with Boys and Girls Clubs and Big Brother- Big Sister Programs in the greater Santa Cruz area. We will expand Ukes for Kids to include similar youth programs beyond our local community as our ability to give grows through the generosity of donors like you. (If you have a youth program and are interested in starting a Ukulele program please get in touch)

A portion of every Uke Fest West ticket will go to Ukes for Kids. But we need more than the Uke Fest West ticket sales will provide. You can give directly to the Ukes for Kids program with a cash donation or a donation of Ukuleles or Ukulele merchandise (100% tax deductible) to be raffled and/or auctioned at Uke Fest West. 100% of the proceeds of this auction/raffle will be used to purchase these hundreds of inexpensive ukuleles to give away to kids. We have located several sources for these ukes, ranging in cost from $10.00 to $12.00. (If you are, or know of, a source of inexpensive, but playable, ukuleles that Uke Fest West can give away to through Ukes for Kids, please get in touch with us right away. We also still need a source for inexpensive GCEA pitch pipes).)

We are excited to announce that Liz and Jumpin’ Jim Beloff of Flea Market Music have generously donated a beginning Uke players book to accompany each Ukes for Kids ukulele that we give away.

Already many Ukulele builders and suppliers have stepped up to this cause and donated ukuleles and ukulele products to be raffled Saturday April 24^th at Uke Fest West for the Ukes for Kids fund. Remember, a donation to this fund ensures that 100% of your donation will go to the Ukes for Kids program. Our donors already include

Andy Andrews / Secretary / Ukulele Club of Santa Cruz (www.ukulele-club-santa-cruz.com)
Email me at andy@cruzio.com
Telephone me at home at: (831) 688-3540 or call my cell phone at (408) 828-2131

Donations of instruments or ukulele merchandise can be shipped to:
Ukes for Kids Program
Ukulele Club of Santa Cruz
207 Poplar Street
Aptos, CA 95003

Make checks or other cash donations payable to "The Ukulele Hall of Fame / Ukes for Kids"
Ukes for Kids can also accept credit card payments through PayPal at www.paypal.com and then payable to orders@ukulele.org. Specify that your payment is for the Ukes for Kids fund.

The Ukulele Hall of Fame is a non-profit with 501(c)(3) status, and all contributions to Ukes for Kids are 100% tax deductible. Our mission is to document, preserve and promote the history of the ukulele, its players and makers, as well as to inspire and engage people everywhere in the perpetuation of the ukulele and ukulele music through performances and exhibits.