Coordinators Hope For Second Live Event In October
COVID-19 has created a cancel culture in our community and across the globe, but Paulie Palooza has found away to bring the 2021 event to the masses without breaking COVID-19 protocols.
Paulie Palooza, an event that normally would bring Downtown Zephyrhills alive with music and the spirit of giving to benefit Gulfside Hospice. This year’s event, Saturday, March 13, will be held virtually where musical performances will be broadcast on Facebook Live on Gulfside Hospice starting at 3 p.m.
Dubbed Paulie Palooza’s Virtual Opening Act, the 10th anniversary event will feature live performances by local musicians David Teague and Clancee. Plus, an online auction opened on Monday. There will be some testimonials.
All proceeds from Paulie Palooza are donatedto Gulfside, which helped organizer Paul Correia during his father’s final days.
“Most Paulie Paloozas have been based around the music with 90 percent music and 10 percent advertising,” Correia said. “This year is will be different. It’s a win-win for us. We can still reach out to the northern people who are here and we can reach the ones who are not here through Facebook Live.”
There are plans for a Closing Act event in October once venues are able to host events.
Just over a year ago, bands, one after another, filled the Eiland Bandstand playing before nearly 1,000 people throughout the day.
“This was supposed to be our big blowout year because this is the big 10th anniversary event,” said Correia. “We wanted to have a big March event and COVID changed all that. Hopefully in October, we can have live performances again.”
The loyalty of sponsors has spanned a decade and their generosity isn’t ending because of a virus.
“I’m hoping through this event and the one in October we can raise as much as we normally do,” Correia said. “We have had a lot of corporate sponsors who said they don’t care if there is COVID or not, they are still on board to donate.
“This going to give the corporate sponsors another bang for their buck. It’s hard to reach out to people and ask for money. We will be happy to just refresh everybody in what we are doing and go from there. We know it’s a good cause and we don’t want it to go by the way side because of COVID.”