A free concert for all ages is planned within the City of Hamilton this New Year’s Eve.And with Christmas just around the corner, preparations for the 2012 New Year’s Eve bash have moved into high gear.For Sounds of Sanctuary, the driving force behind the celebrations, this will be the third consecutive year of ringing out the old to bring in the New Year.Local entertainers will take centre stage before an anticipated crowd of thousands on Front Street. The entertainment line-up includes well known artists Ras Giorgis, Live Wires and Zion.There will be a host of food and novelty vendors, a kiddie land and an outdoor movie.This time the event comes amid a year of economic hardship for countless families in Bermuda now struggling to make ends meet.And that’s why the organisers are heavily promoting the fact that the show, which hopes to feature a big fireworks display and the traditional Bermuda onion drop at midnight, is designed with the family in mind it’s free and the Bermuda Police Service will be out in force.Organisers are now in the last major push for sponsorship. Spanish Town Entertainment, the production arm of Sounds of Sanctuary, will provide all the staging, sound equipment and everything else required to put on the show; the Ministry of Tourism and Business Development has stepped in as a joint sponsor.Also on board this year for the third year running is The MarketPlace.Together with the support of Island Construction, the supermarket chain created the Bermuda onion design.Said a company spokesman: “They’re looking forward to another great event with the hope that as many people as possible come out to ring in the New Year.”Sponsorship for the fireworks display has not been finalised yet. Organisers are hoping to garner the financial support needed before the big event.Sounds of Sanctuary spokesman Eugene Dean is confident that support will come in, perhaps after the Christmas holiday.In the interim, he said organisers are more than grateful for the support garnered so far, particularly from the Department of Tourism, the Ministry of Community and Cultural Affairs, the City of Hamilton, Belco and MarketPlace.“During these times in particular we are most thankful and appreciative of any assistance we receive from the community toward helping us make this event more memorable; especially for those less fortunate,” he said.People of all ages are invited to attend what is hoped to be an “unforgettable experience” at the No1 Car Park from 8pm to 2am on New Year’s Eve.Spanish Town Entertainment said the event will also be the pre-launch of the Sounds of Sanctuary (SOS) Programme.“This programme is designed to comprehensively address both the branches and root causes of the current violence which is most concerning for the community at large.“We’ve found that events like these, when supported and done correctly, are very positive transforming agents, because art and music transcend race and politics.“We’ve found that events like these, when supported and done correctly, are positive, transforming agents.”