JAZZ FESTIVAL NOT QUITE DEAD
By Adnews Staff
The Toronto Downtown Jazz Festival may be back from the grave, thanks to emergency resuscitation from Toronto Mayor Mel Lastman. According to Michel Descoteaux, director of public affairs for Montreal-based Imperial Tobacco Ltd., the company received a call from the mayor expressing concern over the future of the festival after this year's event was declared cancelled due to lack of sponsorship revenue. As a result, Imperial agreed to increase its funding of the festival to $750,000. du Maurier had originally agreed to be one of four $250,000 sponsors after it withdrew as long-time title sponsor. The festival has also found additional support from Toronto-based Internet company UUNET. UUNET president Tal Bevan announced at a news conference yesterday a donation of $10,000 to the festival as well as a call to other Toronto corporations to save the festival. Bevan said UUNET will contact four other companies as possible sponsors of the festival. In turn, those four companies are to contact four other companies. He said the goal is to raise $210,000 in funding. Officials at the Toronto Downtown Jazz Society could not reached to confirm that the festival would proceed following these announcements. The 2000 Toronto Downtown Jazz Festival is scheduled to run from June 23 until July 2.