rehunn said ..."10% surcharge on all hotel rooms to go to sponsoring the event"
This sounds like something a convention and visitor bureau would have to decide on. I rate this a low probability.
"a "voluntary" chaser donation (every little bit helps, conscience sometimes wins out)" but not often. John Bush tried soliciting chasers on a 315 trip and collected $50, if I remember correctly.
"bribe/payoff/plea to the owner to allow a photo run East of Lobato/West of Dalton behind the hill to at least make part of the trip a bit more valuable to the "charter" group, photo runs in other "hidden" locations" This would be funny if it wasn't so sad. The property owners are wealthy doctors who got sued by a railfan who climbed over the clearly posted fence and managed to hurt himself. He sued, won and collected. Blame the judicial system, not the land owners. The rotary run is going to bring out exactly the kind of wienies they don't want on their land.
We need serious ideas that will bring in the Benjamin's, not just Washington's
Michael