Watching fireworks during the annual Dewey Fire Co. carnival is a beloved Hellertown tradition. Although this year’s carnival was canceled, there is hope that the fireworks will be held in late August. Fire company president Gail Nolf announced Friday that a successful community fund drive that raised nearly $20,000 to help pay for them. (FILE PHOTO)
The road to having a fireworks show in Hellertown this year has not been an easy one, but thanks to unprecedented financial support from local residents and businesses, it’s now looking likely that the boomers will explode high above the borough in late August.
That was the message happily delivered by Dewey Fire Company president Gail Nolf via a post in the Hellertown, Pennsylvania Facebook group Friday.
“Thank you to this community of local businesses, and all of the families and individuals who, in many different ways, made this happen,” Nolf enthused.
She reported that the grand total raised to help pay for the show was $19,330 as of Friday. Since that is more than what is needed, Nolf noted that any additional funds will be deposited in a bank account and designated for next year’s fireworks extravaganza.
Nolf also announced that the tentative date for the show is Friday, Aug. 21, with a rain date of Saturday, Aug. 22. The location that will be used for staging the show is on Steel Club property within Hellertown borough limits, she said.
Celebrations Fireworks is the company that will present the display, and Nolf is working with both Celebrations and borough staff to ensure that all necessary paperwork is completed and filed in a timely manner.
She said approval for the show is an item on Hellertown Borough Council’s July 6 meeting agenda, which will be held at 7 p.m. online via WebEx.
At council’s last meeting, members declined to approve a donation to help pay for this year’s fireworks, citing both the lack of a recent fire company audit and the fact that the borough does not typically help fund Dewey’s fireworks.
Money raised by the fire company’s carnival typically helps to finance the fireworks–which are normally held during the carnival in mid-July in Dimmick Park–however this year’s carnival was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
When news broke that the fireworks might not happen at all in 2020, community members rallied to the cause and deluged Dewey with donations, which Nolf has continued to announce in posts in the Hellertown, Pennsylvania Facebook group.
Most of the money raised was donated within a week’s time.
“From the Dewey Fire Company #1 team, thank you!” she said Friday.