Miracle leaves Marana, moves to Rillito track

The event formerly known as Miracle in Marana and hosted by Miracle's Inc. is moving out of the town's Ora Mae Harn Park unexpectedly.

Instead, the party will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday at Rillito Park Race Track, 4502 N. First Ave. Santa Claus will be there to distribute toys to any child who wants one. No advance registration or proof of need is required.

The issue with the change of venue comes down to money and short notice for Marana.

Miracle's Inc. has held the party in the town park for at least five years and has never been asked to pay to use the area before, say party organizers.

But in the tight economy and with new procedures in place, the town didn't get enough notice from Miracle's Inc. for the Town Council to decide whether it could let the event be held again for free, say town staffers.

As it stands, the council had a special meeting last week to discuss recession strategies. The Miracle's Inc. party was not part of that discussion, but town manager Gilbert Davidson said he has instructed all town departments to reduce expenditures by up to 15 percent.

Normally, Miracle's has been in discussions with the town a couple months ahead of the event.

"We got a call from Miracle's Inc. sometime last week, and they asked about using the park, and ordinarily when big events are coming we've had some warning, some type of planning for a while," Tom Ellis, director of Marana Parks and Recreation, said in an interview last week.

In the past, negotiations between the town and Miracle's Inc. happened a lot earlier, and the town always agreed to help sponsor the event, he said.

"It's a last-minute request that we weren't prepared for," he said.

Ellis said he would be open to allowing Miracle's Inc. to put up signs letting people know where the party is this year, but added that he hasn't been asked yet.

Town spokesman Rodney Campbell explained that non-profits get "discretionary funding" from the town by going through a process that includes getting the Town Council's authorization. But Miracle's Inc. never submitted a request to go through that process, he said.

"You can't just assume if you're a non-profit that you're going to get support. There is a process that everyone has to go through to get this kind of sponsorship. So far this process has not been followed," he said.

The Miracle's Inc. board said it was effectively blindsided by the town's request that the group pay to use the park this year.

The stage for Santa Claus would cost $250, and to use the whole park — which includes rental of all the ramadas for the day — would be about $70 per hour. The town would also need compensation for the hours worked by any town staffers for the event.

Former Marana Councilman Tim Escobedo, a co-founder and board member of Miracle's Inc., said that last year was the first time the group was asked to pay anything, and that was to help cover the police service the town provided. But he's not blaming the town for Miracle's Inc.'s last-minute need to move.

"The town's on the up and up," Escobedo said. "I'm sure that had we gone through the process a little earlier, you and I would not be having this conversation right now. The town has a process. We now understand that process."

He acknowledged knowing he would need to go before the council this year, and said the board worried about Miracle's Inc. being denied town funding and having to pay for everything out-of-pocket. So the group didn't seek council approval.

But not all Miracle's organizers are as understanding about the town's position.

"In the past, they never, ever, ever did anything like that," said another Miracle's Inc. co-founder and board member, Tim Adams. "There were no charges. In the past, they loved to accept it as their event on their Web site."

In any case, the party is in a different place this year, and the Miracle's Inc. folks are worried people won't know and will show up at the old venue.

"My biggest nightmare is now unfolding," Adams said.

Like the town, the charity needs to hold onto every dollar it can. And the county is letting Miracle's Inc. use the Rillito park for free.

Escobedo said the group is still working on plans for Santa to fly in by helicopter as he has in years past. But even if that doesn't work, he'll make some kind of grand entrance.

This year's party will have no jumping castles, but there will still be face painting, carnival games, pretend tattooing and a disc jockey playing Christmas music, he said.

If you go

• What: Miracle's Inc. toy distribution party.

• When: 10 a.m. until the toys are gone Saturday.

• Where: Rillito Park Race Track, 4502 N. First Ave.