Press Facts



Short summary The 2009 Boston Monster March is a costume charity walk and giant
carnival on Boston City Hall Plaza to benefit the Samaritans, who run a
hotline to help prevent suicide. Although the event starts with a
daytime kids parade, when the sun sets, it switches into a adult charity
walk and roaring party. Everyone is welcome to the free live music,
giveaways, costume contest, food, vendors, and $18,000 in prizes.
Registered walkers get free access to a carnival with 2 mechanical
bulls, 3 inflatable obstacle courses, a velcro wall, free professional
photo, and 10 other attractions. We’ll also break the world record of
most people dancing Michael Jackson’s Thriller in an event that is
synchronized with other groups worldwide! Those who just show up can
register on the spot with a gift to the Samaritans (FREE walkers, or $20
child/student, $30 adult donation). RAIN DATE Sunday, October 25, 2009,
12-10pm, on Boston City Hall Plaza, at Government Center on the subway.
See www.MonsterMarch.org
Press release Click here for the press release
Major Sponsors WeirdBostonEvents.org and Radio 92.9.
Audience Between 10,000-14,000 people will come, making it the largest festival in Boston in October. The walk is targeted mainly at adults, but there is a separate costume contest and charity walk for kids earlier in the day.
Timing Although the event is Sunday, October 25, 2009, fundraising
in advance is vital to the success of this benefit to the Samaritans.
Ideally we’re hoping for media attention the week of October 12th as
well as the week of October 19th.
Why the Press Should Care
  • Benefits a first-rate charity
  • The largest festival in Boston in October
  • A truly unique concept of costume walk and carnival
  • Goes beyond other charity walks with spectacular visuals of people in costume
  • When the last time you saw mechanical bulls and “human bowling” on Boston City Hall Plaza?
  • Call and we’ll tell you more!
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    Schedule & Band Descriptions Click here for a complete schedule with descriptions of
    Lifted, Jaggery, Casey Desmond
    and Walter Sickert and the Army of Broken Toys. Also Thrill the World
    will give lessons all day and lead the entire audience in a
    record-breaking dance of Michael Jackson’s Thriller that is synchronized
    with groups all over the world.
    Free Carnival Click here for a list of carnival attractions and photos.
    List of Costume Contest Prizes Click for the list of prizes worth $18,000 for the child contest and the adult contest, and as giveaways for those who volunteer.
    Cutting Edge Video Project Those who choose to can get a 10-second video made of marching in
    costume from left to right. These videos will be stitched together into a
    website that people can browse, annotated with the names of the
    walkers. For an example of what this will look like, see where we got the idea from.
    Why People Will Come
  • To raise money for suicide prevention
  • To show off their costume to friends on their “fundraising page”
  • To show off their costume on the charity walk
  • To have something to do before a costume party
  • For the live music, food, vendor giveaways, costume competition, and prizes
  • Because registered walkers get a free professional photograph & video clip
  • Because registered walkers get free access to a carnival with 15 attractions
  • Having seen heavy get-the-word out campaigns and press attention
    		•
    About the Samaritans Samaritans, Inc. is a non-denominational, not-for-profit volunteer
    organization serving greater Boston & Metrowest communities. They
    are dedicated to reducing the incidence of suicide by befriending
    individuals in crisis and educating the community about effective
    prevention strategies. They reach more than 100,000 people each year
    with the help of more than 400 volunteers – 100 of them teens. See www.samaritanshope.org.
    About the Organizers

    The Boston Monster March is organized by Wheel Questions, to
    benefit the Samaritans, which is the event’s fiscal sponsor. Wheel
    Questions is an art project where in 2009 the community has submitted
    over 10,000 deep life questions on colored cards in an attempt to set a
    world record. Answers are written on the back and the cards are posted
    both online and on an outdoor installation in Harvard Square for all to
    see.

    Artist Johnny Monsarrat is also the creator of WeirdBostonEvents.org,
    the most popular non-profit blog on New England Events, coming up #8 on
    a Google search for “Boston events”. It contains the largest list of
    outdoor concerts in New England, the largest list of haunted houses in
    New England, and a ton of historical re-enactments, fireworks,
    festivals, and more. Yes, he does have a day job, too!

    See www.WheelQuestions.org and www.WeirdBostonEvents.org.

    Photos Our logo (color, b/w)
    and the banner photo are the main photos for the Monster March. The
    Samaritans has run numerous past successful events, but this is the
    first year for the Monster March. So here are some Internet photos of Halloween parades and the inflatable amusements we will have.
    Press contact Johnny Monsarrat, 617-899-7794, johnny@wheelquestions.org.