SMG’s Rich MacKeigan and Lynne Ike began a program benefiting charities when Cher performed at Van Andel Arena.

SMG ‘Chers’ With Others
David Czurak

GRAND RAPIDS — Concert tickets, clothing and contributions from gate receipts made up the majority of donations SMG handed out last year to local charities and others located across the country.

And at least a portion of that charitable giving was inspired by an appearance from Cher.

SMG General Manager Rich MacKeigan, whose firm manages Van Andel Arena and DeVos Place for the Convention and Arena Authority, recently revealed that $23,000 worth of cash donations and in-kind contributions were made last year through an initiative begun by his company and tied to the events held in both buildings.

More than 50 charities, associations, companies, schools and churches benefited from the giving SMG did last year.

“These are organizations that request donations in writing. It’s really been a profitable tool for their fundraising, especially for the parochial schools,” said Lynne Ike, marketing director for SMG.

“We get a lot of requests,” she added.

Ike said SMG gave local groups $5,353 worth of tickets to events at the arena and at DeVos Performance Hall last year, along with another $5,840 worth of event-related fleece pullovers, polo shirts, golf caps and binoculars.

“We’ve kind of adopted St. John’s Home,” said Ike of the organization that houses orphaned children. “In return, I get some of the most delightful thank-you cards.”

SMG also made cash contributions to charities in the name of artists that performed in the buildings. MacKeigan explained that this program began with Cher’s first Farewell Tour concert held in the arena four years ago.

He said the standard practice is to give an artist a gift from the building. But a performer on tour, like Cher, might be playing 50 dates and doesn’t need to lug 50 gifts across the country. So SMG started making a donation to an artist’s favorite charity and then sending a matching contribution to a local organization.

“It gives us a little bit of homework to do,” said MacKeigan of having to find out prior to the performance date a performer’s preference.

SMG donates $500 in the name of each performer, with $250 going to an artist’s charity and another $250 to the Van Andel Institute Hope on the Hill Council. In all, nonprofit agencies received $12,000 in contributions last year.

“It’s something that we’ve been ahead of the curve on, but is now standard in the industry,” said MacKeigan of the cash outlay.

The performers who play the buildings also make contributions. For instance, the Trans Siberian Orchestra, which has come here for the past four Christmas seasons, has donated $1 from every ticket sold to God’s Kitchen. Over those years, TSO has raised about $70,000 for the local food pantry on South Division Avenue.

The CAA held its fundraising event last Thursday at the arena. Three years ago, 3,000 tickets were sold to the 1950s musical revue and that event raised $80,000.

More than 4,000 tickets were reported sold a week before last week’s charity event. All proceeds from the concert, dinner and ceremony that honored former three-term mayor John Logie with the 2006 Community Leadership Award will go to St. John’s Home, Hope on the Hill and Gilda’s Club.     BJX