Updated:The show will go on! Just 24 hours after Tom Douglas and Dave Ross announced a pledge drive to raise money to save the Family 4th Fireworks show on Lake Union, the goal of $500,000 has been reached.
Both Microsoft and Starbucks agreed to each pay $125,000 if other businesses and citizens pitched in the remaining $250,000. “We’re pleased to announce, with your help we have reached the goal of raising $500,000 in pledges. According to One Reel, the nonprofit that organizes the show, that is the amount needed to keep the show going,” an announcement posted on MyNorthwest.com states.
Mikhael Williams, spokesperson for One Reel, which has produced the event for more than 20 years, told MyWallingford.com yesterday that Monday was the deadline to meet the goal.
Earlier:As the realization started sinking in that Seattle’s only 4th of July fireworks show has been canceled, some local celebrities and businesses are donating money to save the annual tradition. On the Dave Ross show this morning, restaurateur Tom Douglas started the campaign to save the fireworks show by announcing he will donate $5,000. Dave Ross followed suit by donating some of his own money. The list of donations keeps growing, with the ultimate goal of raising $500,000 by Monday, April 5th.
To make a pledge of a minimum of $1,000, corporate or individual, go to MyNorthwest.com/fireworks or e-mail savethe4th@mynorthwest.com. If the funds needed to save the 2010 fireworks show can be raised in the allotted time, then the pledges will be collected upon and sent to One Reel.
One Reel marketing and communications director Mikhael Williams talked with our sister site My Wallingford this morning about Ross’s plan. “We would be so excited and thrilled if we could pull this off this year, but has to happen very quickly,” Williams says, “From our perspective, the window was closed on a title sponsorship because of the traditional expectations and benefits that they receive. If there are people in the community who want to rally around the event, who don’t have the traditional expectations of sponsorship, we would happily put this on.”
(Full disclosure: Next Door Media, which powers FremontUniverse.com, has donated to save the fireworks show.)