The city of Auburn will get some help from private donors to cover the cost of last month's Founders Day celebration.

The city council accepted on Thursday a $15,000 donation from the Fred L. Emerson Foundation to help pay for the day-long celebration that took place downtown June 6. Another private foundation, the Stardust Foundation of Central New York, is also planning on pitching in but has not yet announced an amount.

The festival changed quickly at the last minute when Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin agreed only weeks before to attend. Auburn City Manager Mark Palesh said the high-profile guest made more than just the crowd grow for Founders Day.

Assemblyman Gary Finch also secured a $5,000 grant from the state to help cover some costs.

“I just think the city has a real good rapport with some of the foundations” Palesh said. “They're always around when you really need them.”

The city had originally budgeted $25,000 for the event, which included a parade, speeches by officials, food vendors and entertainment all around a closed stretch of Genesee Street. Thousands of people came to hear Palin speak and participate in the activities.

The event's size called for extra manpower for security, crowd control and cleanup.

Palesh couldn't give the exact cost Friday afternoon for the entire event because the numbers were not in front of him. But he estimated the total cost came in under $80,000.

After the grants and the fees paid by vendors and other participants, Palesh said he expects the city to pay less than half of that amount.

He also said the event's success has been shown through the positive response from the public.

“I think Auburnians are looking to get together, and this was one way,” he said.

There were also some new items purchased like banners and podiums, at least some of which will be covered by the Stardust donation.

Stardust Foundation Director Guy Cosentino said the foundation board will meet in the next month to decide the final amount of the donation. He also said he would like to see Founders Day continue as an annual event.

“We thought it was a great event for the city,” Cosentino said. “We wanted to be supportive from day one.”

Organizers have said Founders Day will be an annual festival, with each year focusing on a different aspect of Auburn's history. This year's theme was the 50th anniversary of Alaska statehood.

One of Auburn's most famous residents, William Seward, helped facilitate the purchase of the Alaskan territory in 1867 while he served as secretary of state.

Staff writer Christopher Caskey can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 282 or christopher.caskey@lee.net.