thestar.com

"We as a board abhor any kind of violence whatsoever," [Lennox Farrell] told reporters yesterday. "If violence occurs outside a Blue Jays game, it is not ever associated with the Blue Jays game. We wonder why in the mind of the press . . . that shooting has become associated with Caribana.

Corporate sponsorship this year is estimated at more than $200,000, down from $500,000 the previous year, said Caribana vice- chairperson Samuel Lewis. Last October, the festival's largest sponsor, Teleglobe Canada, announced it was withdrawing its $300,000 support for this year.

Caribana treasurer Vivian Manswell had budgeted for a $150,000 surplus this year that would enable the committee to pay off creditors, but he conceded yesterday that "the margins are very narrow."