Fireworks show — canceled because of budget cuts — may happen after all
More than half of the $50,000 needed to stage an Independence Day celebration in Santa Monica has been raised, officials said Friday.
And with an overwhelmingly supportive response from the community so far, the other half is sure to follow, they said.
“We’re going to get it done and we’re going to have fireworks,” said City Councilman Herb Katz, who has pooled more than $3,500 from friends and colleagues. “Businesses that I talked with realized this is important and they care for the community.
“The people that go to (the event) should start putting some money into this now. It doesn’t have to be much, just send it in.”
Less than $25,000 is needed to save “Celebrate America,” a fireworks event hosted by Santa Monica College for the last 20 years that was canceled earlier this month because of the school’s budget crisis.
Besides the contributions Katz has rounded up, the city donated $10,000, while $8,000 has come in through private donations. The rest has funneled in through various sponsorships, said Don Girard, marketing manager at SMC.
“The response so far has just been terrific,” Girard said. “The response was so wonderful, so swiftly, and the city was so cooperative that we just know this will go forward.”
“The response was so wonderful, so swiftly, and the city was so cooperative that we just know this will go forward.” — - DON GIRARD Marketing manager at SMC
Girard said the school will stay true to its tradition of holding the event on the Saturday before the Fourth of July, which this year falls on June 29.
A letter to 300 college supporters was dropped in the mail Friday, urging them to open their checkbooks and pitch in to save the party.
“The City of Santa Monica and Santa Monica College are making this combined appeal for your assistance in preserving this wonderful patriotic festival and summertime celebration despite unprecedented funding cutbacks,” said the letter, which was signed by Mayor Richard Bloom and Herb Roney, chairman of the SMC board of directors.
The letter details the scope of the cutbacks facing SMC, where state funding for next year may be down by as much as $10 million. SMC officials are considering canceling hundreds of classes and laying off dozens of teachers and employees because of the shortfall.
Six academic programs have already been dropped by the cash-strapped school.
Santa Monica College canceled “Celebrate America” on May 1, saying it didn’t seem right to host a party while teachers are being laid off and entire departments are being eliminated.
But Bloom and Katz spearheaded an effort to bring back the fireworks, countering that celebrations are even more important because of the dire fiscal situation facing local schools and government.
The event, which is held at Corsair stadium, attracted 20,000 people last year. It has been the only Independence Day fireworks event in Santa Monica since the city canceled its popular celebration in 1991, citing liability concerns. Controlling the hundreds of thousands of revelers that converged on Palisades Park and the beaches below became too difficult, officials said.
Donations to the fireworks fund should be made out to “Santa Monica College Celebrate America” and mailed to Celebrate America, c/o Santa Monica College, 1900 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90405. Bayside to hold meeting to address homelessness
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 26, 2003. Read the original PDF.