Editor:
Do you know who pays for and puts on the Sportsman’s Holiday fireworks display each year?
The Sweet Home Volunteer Firefighters Association has been putting on this show for the community for over 25 years.
The money for this comes from fund-raisers like the Fireman’s Steak Cookout. No tax dollars are used. Volunteers from the association also set up, light the fuses for the actual show and clean up afterwards to make their funds stretch as far as possible.
There are also large and appreciated efforts put in by the Sweet Home Police Department, Public Works Department, the Linn County Sheriff’s office, the Oregon Department of Transportation and the Army Corps of Engineers.
We’re bringing all of this up in December because there is a problem. The cost of putting on the show has continued to increase, while the revenue from our main fund raiser has decreased. This year the association will not be able to afford to put on the show without major contributions from the community. So this month we’re asking businesses or individuals to pledge a donation for next year’s show. The money would be needed around May, but the ordering and permit process starts in January so we need to know before then if we will be able to put on a fireworks show again in 2007.
Please call 367-5882 if you are interested in making the show happen.
Wes Strubhar, President
Sweet Home Volunteer
Firefighter’s Association