Bessie Smith Strut gets $10,000 donation from City of Chattanooga

Crowds fill M.L. King Boulevard during the Bessie Smith Strut in this file photo.

The Bessie Smith Strut now only needs $10,000 to make sure there is a June party.

Organizers found the Strut was in the hole $60,000 even after an anonymous donor contribution and went into fundraising mode collecting almost $40,000 over the last few weeks, said Rosa Martin, director of the Bessie Smith Cultural Center.

The City Council voted 7-2 Tuesday night to kick in an additional $10,000 as a contribution.

But some council members wanted to institute it as a loan, not a donation.

“It’s not new for the city,” said Councilman Jack Benson. “We have given a line of credit when we see there is a necessary need.”