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Save the Fireworks

DSchoon

By DSchoon
in Grand Rapids

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DSchoon Whistle-Stop

DSchoon

Posted
Posted

mlive:

No spark for Grand Rapids fireworks sponsorship

GRAND RAPIDS -- Efforts to reignite downtown's annual Fourth of July fireworks display have sputtered and fizzled, Joel Schaaf, chairman of Grand Entertainment, said today.

"I'm very disappointed. I can't believe we're at this point," said Schaaf after failing to find enough corporate sponsorship for the $125,000 event. "We've reached our drop-dead date. We were hoping someone would come forward and help us out."

The cancellation means a Fourth of July fireworks show will not be staged at Ah-Nab-Awen Bicentennial Park for the first time since 1982. Schaaf said his nonprofit group will focus on bringing back the display for July 4, 2007.

This is stupid. Does this city really not have 1,000 people willing to donate $125? I donate three times that to the United Way in a year and I'm poor.

I'll put mine in. Anyone else want to play?

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Rizzo City

Rizzo

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I will say this again: GR was an All American city more then once, and we can't even find anyone to contribute to a celebration to express being American?! Where is our famous "Proud to me American" folks? I'd pay a few dollars to see this, wouldn't anyone else?

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dbrok Hamlet

dbrok

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Why didn't they just start a paypal account and get spots on all the local news shows and in the local paper/magazines? A fourth of July without fireworks? The communists have won.

Well, they do have the paypal account accepting online donations already: Grand Entertainment

Maybe someone could make a button like this amazon_80x15.gif and then people or businesses can add them to their websites and blogs. I think a few thousand people donating just a few dollars could make a big dent.

It could be the 'Save the Fireworks' Campaign.

I actually just tried the link and the donation does work. You can enter any amount.

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gvsusean Burg

gvsusean

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I will say this again: GR was an All American city more then once, and we can't even find anyone to contribute to a celebration to express being American?! Where is our famous "Proud to me American" folks? I'd pay a few dollars to see this, wouldn't anyone else?

maybe you should put your money where your mouth is :P

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Rizzo City

Rizzo

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You say that to people who talk a big talk... I'll pay an admission fee. Really, I was being sarcastic, because this community with its nationalism putting up "Proud to be American" stickers and not giving a rats ass. Where's everyones money?

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gvsusean Burg

gvsusean

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ironically, the businesses DT paid 82,000 for some ad campaign to BRING people DT... when that money could be used for fireworks which has a proven track record of attracting MASSIVE amounts of people hmmmmmm........ pretty smart move

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PBJ Burg

PBJ

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Email Joel and tell him to advertise the fact they take donations via paypal. I just emailed him and said the community could probably come together if he just get the word out. I'm sure the local media would run the story. It's a feel good thing.

[email protected]

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Veloise City

Veloise

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Posted

Well, they do have the paypal account accepting online donations already: Grand Entertainment

Maybe someone could make a button like this amazon_80x15.gif and then people or businesses can add them to their websites and blogs. I think a few thousand people donating just a few dollars could make a big dent.

It could be the 'Save the Fireworks' Campaign.

I actually just tried the link and the donation does work. You can enter any amount.

They need a thermometer or a skyrocket or another method of depicting how much has been collected.

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DSchoon Whistle-Stop

DSchoon

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Wow, I wish I'd seen the donation thing earlier today.

I'm going to give him a call tomorrow morning. If it turns out a last ditch effort will indeed save the fireworks, I'll make sure it gets in our paper on Monday (the issue the U.P. story is running in by the way), in Street Talk if nothing else.

If they actually have an online account, this would a lot easier than I thought.

Maybe some kind of e-mail chain letter?

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Rizzo City

Rizzo

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My brother and I were accidently treated as VIP at the park. Didn't know what the hell was going on except the both of us were the only ones with out a bracelet thingamajig. Good times, good times.

I think the real best seat in the house would be in Downtown, not the park... You loose the ambience in the park.

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GRDadof3 Ecumenopolis

GRDadof3

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The problem is is that every little burg around GR has their own fireworks shows now, and some are pretty impressive. When we used to live in Georgetown Twp about 4 - 5 years ago, we could watch 3 fireworks shows from our deck. It's pretty ridiculous.

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Veloise City

Veloise

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Sounds good Schoon! How many of us went last year?

Meeeee! Put in about 8 hours volunteering at the beer tent for a lousy T-shirt and a face full of smoke. It was entertaining carding senior citizens, and even better when we got the gal who turned 21 that day.

The entertainment was great. Elvis! I can't recall who/what else performed, but I liked it.

Met a handsome man in blue (GRPD) but I didn't get his badge number. Will have to try again.

And I did not get stuck in a traffic jam heading home.

I've mentioned this before...they need volunteers with noisemakers and buckets wandering around the crowd a la East Lansing Folk Festival. Every performance sees a visit from the bucket brigade, and the collectors give you a sticker to show that you support the event.

Hope the powers that be are reading this!

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Sunlover38 Whistle-Stop

Sunlover38

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I am kind of surprised that one of the bigger corporations or benefactors have not stepped up and paid the remaining amount needed. It really is not that much for corporate sponorship . .plaster your name around, good PR, etc. If I had the $$$, I'd do it. But I am just a lowly little peon . . .haha :shades:

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dbrok Hamlet

dbrok

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I am kind of surprised that one of the bigger corporations or benefactors have not stepped up and paid the remaining amount needed. It really is not that much for corporate sponorship . .plaster your name around, good PR, etc. If I had the $$$, I'd do it. But I am just a lowly little peon . . .haha :shades:

It would be interesting to see how much of the $125,000 is actually left after a few donations here and there.

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