Politics & Government

Fairlawn Fireworks Are Back -- If Residents Pay.

Fairlawn Chamber donated $5,000 to Fairlawn Community Foundation to reinstate July 4th Parade; more needed for fireworks.

Fairlawn residents will be seeing a colorful flier in their mailboxes soon. The letter from the Fairlawn Community Foundation asks for $60,000 to pay for fireworks. 

"We're about a third to half of the way there," said Gary Himmel. The local attorney is president of the Fairlawn Community Foundation, an eight-member non-profit organization formed last year.

"I wanted to do something about this because I missed the fireworks show, and my family missed it," Himmel said. He added that the fireworks and parade were the group's first projects. Future fund-raising programs will be determined "by a consensus of what is for the good for the community."

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Residents learned at this year's address in January that some services Mayor William Roth described as "quality of life" would be cut, including fireworks and the city's July 4th Parade.   But by then, talks between the Fairlawn Foundation and the the Fairlawn Area Chamber were already in the works to have that group sponsor the parade. The organization announced its agreement Monday at it's regular luncheon. The donation of $5,000 will cover the parade, but not the fireworks.

Himmel said the extra money is needed for insurance, police and fire protection, the expertise of a professional fireworks company and other expenses. 

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The fund-raising letter asks for donations of any amount.  If enough money isn't raised in time for this year's event, the money will be saved toward an event in 20112. 

Past fireworks events have drawn about 25,000 people annually.


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