Support the Creation of Hawai'i AcroFest

Hey guys! My name is Catherine Ritter (Critter for short!). I'm the Founder of Hawai'i Acrofest and could use your help raising some funds to keep this active for the future years! I've put in about 4,000+ hours of my time since 2021 alone into the production of this event. I'm an extremely passionate independent event organizer with a big heart when it comes to Acro Yoga, human connection, and healing the collective.

This GoFundMe is compromised of many personal details about my own story, thoughts, and how I came to find myself here in the first place! Please feel free to give it a read to get to know me a bit better! or skip to the bottom to see where your donations are going and read about the crew involved!

Your donations would go directly to funding Hawai'i AcroFest <3

See bottom for examples and details.

I am truly grateful for this life, this community, and this opportunity. I also want to acknowledge the paradoxical social climates we are in. It is difficult and a bit confusing to put myself out here publicly asking for funds and startup funding assistance. At the same time, I see countless people suffering worldwide + locally.

Life, in my opinion, is a complication of simultaneously opposing feelings, situations, and realities. There are many ways a human being can perceive and respond to the information coming into their awareness. I stand in solidarity with every one of my brothers and sisters on this earth in a place of disadvantage or suffering. I acknowledge the vast gap in our individual and shared experiences. I am truly sorry for and deeply saddened by this.

I see Hawai'i AcroFest and Event Production as something I can do & build & grow that will cause the MOST possible good with the tools, experiences, network, and skillset that I currently have. I can't change the entire world... but I can share my excitement, joy, and connection to purpose!

I am here both as an act of service and to self-serve by creating job opportunities for myself and close friends in my network in the artist community. I see it as a very aligned and balanced action. I am sincerely out here just doing my best and making the best use of my skills & resources.

Hawaii AcroFest is my life's work and chosen contribution to humanity <3

How Did Hawai'i Acrofest Start?

While I did start planning Hawai'i AcroFest in 2019 on Oahu...I started my AcroYoga journey in Athens, GA in 2015 where a close-knit group of local acrobats warmly welcomed me. I had no clue how much of my life this playful activity would impact. I began to grow and get stronger in more ways than one. I got into acro for the pretty pictures, but I stayed for the people. I stayed for the character development. I stayed for the enhanced communication skills. I stayed for the healing platonic support. I stayed for lifelong friendships. And Of course....I stayed for the epic pictures and to be flipped through the air too!

After Completing my Acro teacher training with AcroRev in 2019, I was SO inspired and knew I had to create something for the acro community with all of this energy! I spent the next few months scouting out venues across the island. The vast majority were way out of reach for my budget needs and preferred to host weddings vs festivals. I extended my search to the big island and found Kalani Retreat center. I fell in love with the gorgeous property and have become close friends with the incredible women in charge.

Essentially...creating Hawai'i Acrofest has been to create my dreams into reality. I'm interacting with my favorite niche activity, in my favorite location, with people I love, and working with teachers I admire and would desire to take their classes myself! I'm able to organize and attend my own dream event! It's pretty freakin' cool to me. And even cooler still, as I'm laying the stage and groundwork for "my dream event," it has the possibility to very well become someone else's real-life "favorite event." I am so excited by the idea of helping to facilitate this foundation and setting the stage for authentic growth, experiences, and connections to flourish.

I am working on it full-time, with limited support and resources:

The amount of work it has taken me is TREMENDOUS. Studying resources, seeking consultation and guidance, inquiring for quotes, scouting team members, pitching ideas to collaborators, talking to the community, drafting business plans, budgeting, solving logistic feats of the remote location, locating resources on a different island, taking trips to the big island to connect with collaborators, designing the website, drafting schedules, team member onboarding, creating flyers, posting on social media, daily guest interactions & communications, typing, typing, and so much more typing. My to-do lists have been 3+ pages for years to keep it all straight.

Without having an investor, sponsor, or Big $$$ on the front end...... in addition to the mountains of personal time I allocate to Hi.AF (ask my friends how much they've seen me in the last couple of years!)...... I also am investing my personal funds. I truly believe in this project, and I'm not mentioning the intensity of my labor or financial situation as a negative. I do genuinely see this as an investment in myself, the company, the branding, the festival, the interisland community, the acro community abroad, the artist community, and just a gift and offering to the community in general. It has, however, been operating in an unsustainable model. Until I have more supportive partners and collaborators, like I will be hoping for shortly..the weight of the planning and financial risks are on me solely.

It takes time and money to make things happen. And you need one to buy the other. I put in easily 40-60+hours every week (closer to 60 tbh.) Unpaid. And I have been doing that level of focused work since Feb 2021. That is over 4,000+ unpaid hours. (not counting the sleepless nights and time spent from 2019-2021 to get to that point!)

I'm working nights at a bar 7p-2a, and then the planning and phone calls resume the next day 12pm-5p. I'm very thankful I have the drive to pursue this, and I am in no way, shape or form complaining about the opportunity to achieve a dream. I am profoundly grateful and moved by acknowledging my blessings and opportunities. I also recognize that I am on the road with a high potential for burnout. Many Festivals don't see profits or returns on their investments until 3-5 years. While I hope to be above average in this regard, I'm aware of the risks.

Your donations would go directly to Hawai'i AcroFest funding.

What could be considered funding?

Here are some but not all examples: Hiring contractors, labor, materials, staff housing, A/V equipment rentals, Mat and padding rentals, Legal fees, hiring personnel, performers, teachers, venue fees, promotional materials, photo/videographer, social media management, guest services, storage of materials, and not limited to holding a reserve in the business account to reinvest for the following years.

Main Points of Fund Allocation:

If you are a large donor, interested in a more specific and detailed itemized cost analysis breakdown, please reach out by email and I will be happy to answer your questions.

[email redacted]

How did the First Year Event Go?

AMAZING! We had a lovely turnout of over 50 guests, 25 teachers, 18 crew members, and a handful of surprise local drop in's! 111 humans came together for this!

Despite the odds and industry-standard predictions, I pulled off an event where we broke even the very first year!!

This major accomplishment was made possible by the crew and community supporters! Our Volunteered Hi.AF Crew's hard work, dedication, kindness, and expert execution achieved and made this magic happen. Virtually none of the staff, crew, or teachers were paid for their talent and time in this event due to the nature of the budget and funding resources available. The entire thing was pulled off on collaboration, love, mutual effort, and generous donations of TIME and covering of personal expenses. Special Thanks to the manual efforts, donated labor, resources, and/or affordable service prices offered by...

Mary Lowman

Katie Pritchett

Landon Hanaford

Dave Naylon

Juice Rutledge

Zoe (caterpillar artist)

Kai Dimond

Tiger H.

Kahea

Sara Jones

Angelica Sanchez

Kai Kelly

Larry Bradford

Shawn Man

Justin Case

Jason Burruss

The entire Kalani Staff/Leaders/Community

ALL of the Excellent Acro Teachers Donating their time & resources to teach at the event!

You made this possible.

So much gratitude and appreciation.

A courageous bunch of attendees worldwide!

All the kind words & helping hands along the way.

And so many more who believed in me or challenged me to believe in myself <3

Thank you sincerely for taking the time to read this and get involved! I hope that even just a few of you made it through to this point to understand better who I am, what this project means, and how your funds will support many people to build community and create more joy in the world. Your kind financial donations will allow longevity and the chance to continue presenting Hawaii AcroFest to the island and worldwide community. It will help us move towards a more sustainable operation model and get closer to paying and providing gigs to artists, teachers, and crew members locally & around the world!

xoxo

Catherine Ritter

(Critter)

Founder of Hawai'i AcroFest