The Daffodil Festival is renewing its call for financial help, saying it might not have enough money to put on the 2010 Daffodil Parade without more contributions.

The festival’s Grand Floral Street Parade marches through Tacoma, Puyallup, Sumner and Orting each April and has been an annual tradition since the 1930s.

Festival spokeswoman Susan McGuire sent out a letter requesting donations Tuesday, warning that a parade in 2010 was far from certain unless the organization gets more help.

“Right now we’re looking pretty dire,” McGuire said in a phone interview. “We’re working hard and we want to make it happen, but we’ve got to draw the line someplace.”

Fundraising director Robyn DeLorm said the organization will be about $20,000 short if donations continue at their current rate. A parade in 2011 looks even more doubtful, she said.

Most of the 23 area high schools that participate in the royalty program have already selected their princesses to compete for the title of Daffodil Queen next spring.

But DeLorm said that if there is no spring parade, there won’t be a Daffodil Queen coronation either. “There would be no royalty program, no queen, nothing.”

The festival was in a similar situation in mid-2008, when declining donations led to a warning there might not be a parade in 2009 or 2010.

DeLorm said the organization weathered those tough times because of an outpouring of community support, but the donations have since dried up.

“We didn’t say anything else to the community, so they thought we were fine,” DeLorm said. “I think it’s our fault for not saying to them that the situation isn’t solved.”

The festival is still waiting for a possible contribution from the City of Puyallup, DeLorm said. Last year, the city contributed about $14,000, DeLorm said.

But some other regular donors have cut back. Neither Pierce County’s government nor the Emerald Queen Casino is contributing this year.

DeLorm said there are things the festival can do to cut costs and help ensure there is a parade in 2010, including possibly closing the business office. The festival employs one office administrator who works 30 hours a week year-round. The only other paid employee is DeLorm, who works part-time.

DeLorm said she thinks the festival can also work to reduce its liability insurance costs, which she called one of the biggest single event costs. The festival pays about $16,000 each year to insure the parade, she said, even though host cities already provide some insurance coverage.

The festival is looking for any donations – big or small, monetary or in-kind, McGuire said. Donations can be made online at www.daffodilfestival.net, or call the festival office at 253-863-9524 for more information.

Melissa Santos: 253-552-7058

melissa.santos@thenewstribune.com