Sonoma fireworks in the black for Fourth of July

If you're one of the many pyrotechnic lovers who were worried that this year's Fourth of July would be without fireworks due to a lack of funding, worry no longer.|

Donating for Fireworks

* To donate through SVFRA's website, go to http://svfra.org/support-sonoma-fireworks.html.

* To donate through Go Fund Me, visit https://www.gofundme.com/sonomafireworks

* To donate in person or by mail, visit the Fire Department at 630 2nd St. W, or mail a check to that address payable to Sonoma Volunteer Firefighter's Association.

If you're one of the many pyrotechnics lovers who were worried that this year's Fourth of July would be without fireworks due to a lack of funding, worry not – the Sonoma Volunteer Firefighter's Association, the nonprofit which puts on the display, has raised enough money and the show will go on.

Joe Boldt, Sonoma Valley Fire & Rescue Authority's fire mechanic and lead pyrotechnician, sent out a letter in February informing the community of a $30,000 deficit in funding for this year's show, and asking for donations to make sure that Sonoma's renowned fireworks show would still take place. Since then, the Volunteer Firefighter's Association and several other organizations and businesses have come together to raise enough money to cover the costs.

'We're looking good and the show's on schedule based on donations from the public,' Boldt said. 'We got enough to save the show – it was a little over $30,000 that we pulled in.'

The fireworks show, put on by the volunteer firefighters, is funded entirely through donations. Each year, the Association mails postcards asking for donations for the coming year's show – for instance, postcards mailed in 2016 are fundraising for the 2017 fireworks show.

Though the organization has run into a shortfall of funding in the past, this year's deficit was the greatest they'd ever had. Now, with the community's help, Sonoma – named by Travel + Leisure magazine in 2014 as the eighth best city in America to celebrate Independence Day – will be able to present its Fourth of July celebration as usual.

According to Boldt, this was the first year they had to raise money for the same year's show. 'Now, we're starting over and raising funds for next year – and that's what we'll be doing at the (Sonoma Community Center's Fourth of July) parade,' he said.

Several organizations and individuals in the community came together to put the fundraising over the top, supplementing grants from both Sonoma County and the City of Sonoma to save the fireworks. The Volunteer Firefighters' Association received one grant from the County for $5,000 to help offset the cost of advertising (the postcards asking for donations); and one from the city's Community Fund Grant program in the amount of $6,000.

Though the show is ready to make a big bang again this year, Boldt says they're not out of the woods yet for 2017's show. Their goal is to raise more than $44,000 for 2017, and they've already begun efforts to raise the money. He said it won't be until September that the Association will have a decent idea of how much money has been donated so far, and whether they will have enough for the coming year.

At the Old Fashioned 4th of July Parade next week, the Rotary Club of Sonoma Valley will partner with the Volunteer Firefighters, marching in the parade in pairs – one firefighter with one Rotarian – holding up a colorful sign and carrying a firefighter's boot to take donations from the crowds.

Susan Hoeffel, the outgoing president of the Rotary Club, said the idea came from Jon Parker, who will be installed as president on July 1. 'He borrowed fire gear from the fire department and he came into a meeting wearing a fire suit and carrying a boot,' Hoeffel said.

Brady Mullin, a member of the Rotary Club of Sonoma Valley, said after the Volunteer Firefighter's Association approached Rotary for help in fundraising, they wanted to continue to find ways to avoid a fireworks deficit in coming years. The joint effort in the parade aims to help offset that cost.

'A few bucks here and there really go a long way,' Mullin said. 'We're going to hopefully raise enough money to avoid having a shortfall.'

Since Sonoma's Independence Day celebrations are often frequented by out-of-towners, the joint efforts of Rotary and the Volunteer Firefighters aim to receive donations from Fourth of July tourists in attendance.

'What we're doing is mostly to raise awareness and to target people who aren't from Sonoma to raise money,' she said.

Meanwhile, efforts to fundraise are already underway. A GoFundMe.com page for next year's fireworks show was set up to take donations, and has already raised over $6,000 in four months. Donations can also be made at the show, or by mailing a check to the Volunteer Firefighters.

For more questions about the fireworks show and about donating, contact Joe Boldt at joeb@svfra.org or call 931-2320.

Donating for Fireworks

* To donate through SVFRA's website, go to http://svfra.org/support-sonoma-fireworks.html.

* To donate through Go Fund Me, visit https://www.gofundme.com/sonomafireworks

* To donate in person or by mail, visit the Fire Department at 630 2nd St. W, or mail a check to that address payable to Sonoma Volunteer Firefighter's Association.

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