Pound Ridge Seeks Donors for Fireworks Display

The town of Pound Ridge is getting ready to celebrate the 4th of July in style and is hoping to do so with a little help from its residents.

Every year, the town puts on a fireworks extravaganza in the town park to celebrate the nation’s birthday. However,  it needs donations to fund the event.

“We’ve always reached out for donations,” said David Goldberg, Pound Ridge recreation director. “The entire thing costs $25,000.”

The firework show itself – put on by Garden State Fireworks – costs $7,500, Goldberg said. However,  there are other costs, such as buses to shuttle people to and from the site and overtime for the police and maintenance departments.

“We have to use shuttle buses to bring people to the park because regulations say you are not allowed to park within 1,500 feet of (where the fireworks are being launched,)” he said.

The shuttle buses will leave from both Pound Ridge Elementary School and Scotts Corners. Residents will be receiving requests for donations through the mail, though another layer to the fundraising aspect has been added.

“This year, for the first time, we will be selling t-shirts,” Goldberg said. “They cost $25 and people came to the Town House to order them.”

The t-shirts read, “Pound Ridge Fireworks 2011.”The Fourth of July celebration will be held Saturday, July 2 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the park.

In the morning, there will be a 5K road race the will start and end at the park as well.

“It’s a new course this year,” Goldberg said. “It starts at 9 a.m., but people can come to the park and sign up at 8 a.m.”

Goldberg said people start coming early to claim a spot of land for the fireworks display.

“They get pretty elaborate,” he said. “They set up candelabras and have fine china. It boggles the mind.”

Goldberg said the event usually draws between 5,000 and 6,000 people.

“For a small town that says a lot,” he says. “It’s a great thing that we can get everyone together.”

For more information, or to donate, e-mail Goldberg at dgoldberg@townofpoundridge.com 

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