While the twinkling lights, bright colors and resounding explosions of the Fourth of July fireworks put the community in a celebratory mood last month, they have also put a dent in the pockets of the chamber of commerce.
Though chamber Executive Director Brittani Robbins declined to release the exact amount of money she will need to raise before the chamber can afford next year’s fireworks, she called the sum “significant.” A variety of factors contributed to the chamber’s financial straits, including a lean year for royalty fundraising ticket sales and widespread economic stagnation in town.
However, Robbins anticipates that ongoing fundraising efforts will allow the organization to place its order for next year’s fireworks. On Aug. 15, the chamber started a fundraising raffle and “the response has been great so far.”
The $50 raffle tickets for a chance to win a $10,000 cash prize will be available until all 800 tickets are sold.
Though Robbins is confident that the show will go on, attendees at next year’s Fourth celebration can expect to see some changes in the fireworks display. “The style of the fireworks creates the cost,” explained Robbins. A louder display with larger explosions means a heftier bill for the chamber. “Things are just going to be tighter,” Robbins added. “We’re going to have a shorter show.”
However, the 2023 fireworks may be undergoing more changes than just a reduced scale. Robbins envisions an even safer, more efficient option for the Fourth of July festivities — a drone-operated light show. This alternative would free up volunteer firefighters, provide relief to noise-sensitive folks, and lessen the celebration’s environmental impact, all at a comparable price to a traditional display. Fireworks release fine particulates that can pollute the air, contaminate waterways and poison wildlife.
A non-traditional show would also solve the display’s ongoing manpower problem. Pyrotechnics-certified volunteer firefighters run the show, but certified volunteers are scarce and display setup demands a full day of unpaid work. Setting up the rockets is a labor-intensive process that prevents volunteers from enjoying the holiday and spending time with their families. “These are all volunteers that already donate a large portion of their free time,” said Tim Buness, Wrangell Fire Chief.
Traditional fireworks also pose a fire hazard in a national forest in the driest season of the year. The show has been canceled in previous years due to fire risk and was almost canceled last July until Stickeen Ready Mix donated a barge to the firework cause.
“When you have four or five days of 75 degree weather, it’s not a possibility to do them on land,” explained Buness. On the barge, the rockets could ignite safely, far from flammable buildings, trees, and flora. There is no guarantee, however, that the barge will be available every year.
In January, once new chamber board seats are filled, the organization will discuss expanding the borough’s pool of certified volunteers by providing pyrotechnics training. The volunteers would then be able to rotate firework duty on a yearly basis, lessening the burden on each of them.
Robbins acknowledges the sentimental value of traditional fireworks and the chamber plans to defer their decision on the issue until early next year.
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