Call it a shot in the dark, but the duo who helped save Grand Old Day have set up a GoFundMe online fundraising page in hopes of raising enough money to put on Fourth of July fireworks in St. Paul.
So far, things are looking iffy.
As of early Thursday afternoon, the “2019 Saint Paul Fireworks” page had raised $480 of a stated goal of $125,000 and a “drop dead” fundraising deadline at the end of Friday. If they can’t reach the $125,000 goal by the deadline, funds will be returned to donors.
The page, created by city employee Andy Rodriguez with Ashley LeMay, indicates the funds will pay for a professional fireworks display “in a prominent viewing location in St. Paul that can be seen from various parts of the city,” as well as insurance and security.
It states: “Traditions tie us all together. We couldn’t imagine summer in St. Paul without Grand Old Day, and now, we are looking ahead in hopes that the city won’t have to go another year without public fireworks.”
St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter announced in June of last year that the city would not be organizing Fourth of July fireworks in light of cost considerations and other pressing priorities.
“It’s always been a shot in the dark,” Rodriguez said. “If we were to fall short, I think the silver lining is there’s a lot of momentum for 2020. We’ve talked with a lot of corporate sponsors, and the challenging part is they’re all in the middle of their fiscal years, so they have money allocated to other projects. But crazier things have happened. We’ll see what happens over the next couple days.”
The mayor’s office has shown no strong interest in resurrecting a fireworks display this July. In a written statement, however, the mayor said he was happy to see a grassroots effort to bring residents together.
“We greatly appreciate community members bringing our neighbors together for family-friendly celebrations,” Carter said.
Even if fundraising is successful, however, finding enough off-duty cops and Parks and Rec workers to work the event could be a logistical challenge. Liz Xiong, a spokeswoman for the mayor’s office, said the city has yet to receive an event permit application related to a fireworks event, which would initiate that process.
“As with all large special events, the city will review permits and plans with the sponsoring entity as we receive them,” she said.
The lack of pyrotechnics has put a damper on some longtime fans who consider a Fourth of July celebration in St. Paul to be a staple of family summertime activities dating back to childhood.
“The capital city should have fireworks on the 4th!” said Karen Voracek after donating to the GoFundMe page.
