BANGOR – Organizers of the American Folk Festival on the Bangor Waterfront this week announced that several corporate sponsors have stepped up to lead the fundraising efforts for this year’s event set for Aug. 22-24.

The fundraising goal is $1,045,000, said Heather McCarthy, the festival’s executive director. As of Thursday, organizers had raised $563,000, or 54 percent, of that total.

“That’s fantastic for March,” McCarthy said. “We feel really good about that.” She cautioned, however, that the Bucket Brigade, which involves spontaneous individual donations made during the festival itself, would continue to play a large part of the overall fundraising effort.

The city of Bangor, the Bangor Daily News and Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems all have returned as virtuoso sponsors, a designation for donors of $50,000 and up, for the annual three-day celebration of traditional music, dance, food and crafts.

Those three sponsors have supported the festival at this level since its first year in Bangor, providing a strong head start to the annual fundraising campaign, according to organizers.

Supporting the festival at the soprano, or $25,000, level are: Bangor Savings Bank, a sponsor since 2002; L.L. Bean, a sponsor since 2004; and FairPoint Communications, a sponsor since 2007.

Corporate sponsorships, along with contributions from municipal, foundation and individual supporters, are crucial to the fundraising effort, which allows the festival to be presented free of charge each year.

The first quarter of the year is focused on securing corporate support, according to Mary Brann, the festival’s development director. The period closer to the event is aimed at recruiting individual gifts.

As in past years, those who attend this year’s event at Bangor Waterfront can expect a strong diversity of performing groups.

In response to development projects along the Kenduskeag Stream and Penobscot River, festival planners are developing a new site layout.

For information about the festival, visit its Web site at www.americanfolkfestival.com or call its headquarters at 992-2630.

dgagnon@bangordailynews.net

990-8189