Hello!

I'm reaching out to ask for some help. For the past 13 years Ara'Kus has been the most important (non-human) aspect of my life and has garnered a majority of my time, attention and creativity. This upcoming January we're making the leap to a new, more professional theater with all of the features we've dreamed about and the potential to reach a new, highly receptive audience.

That being said, we're currently facing the biggest challenge we've ever encountered. With this transition our production costs have tripled, but the potential rewards have also grown significantly. We've laid out a very detailed budget and know exactly where our shortfalls are and what our break even is, and if we can make it through the next three months things look very good for us.

There are two things that we desperately need your help with right now. First, we're listed on the King 5's 'Best of Western Washington' site for Best Theater Group and are currently rated at #6 of 117. If you go to http://best.king5.com/ara-kus-productions/biz/627545 you can cast a vote for us. You'll need to make an account, but it's a quick process, and they don't spam you with junk mail or share your info. If we get into the top 3 on this, we get some pretty significant media coverage, which could make a HUGE difference to us right now.

The second thing we need your help with is our Indiegogo Campaign, which is located at http://bit.ly/ArakusIndiegogo. This is a fundraising campaign that we're running through the beginning of November to help cover our pre-show expenses. We have some fun prizes to give away for donors and donations are tax deductible (minus the value of the prize you select). Even if you can't afford to chip in any money right now, sharing this with your circle of friends and asking them to share it as well will help us immensely.

I don't often ask for help, but this is something I'm truly passionate about and believe in enough that I feel it's worth it. This project has come a long way since we first began staging it in 2010, and as a production company we've gone from being a bunch of clueless musicians trying to throw together a shoestring show to a volunteer group of over 60 people which includes some huge talents and professionals who've worked with organizations like Seattle Opera.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and please feel free to contact us via the website or on our Facebook page. I greatly appreciate any support you can offer!

Jeremiah Johnson
Producer/Founder - Ara'Kus Productions