Let's Light Up St. Marys Fireworks Display In July!!

Location of fireworks display: St. Marys Country Club
City: St. Marys
State: PA
Date: July 3.
Show contact: St. Marys Area Chamber of Commerce 814-718-3804
Event website: http://www.stmaryschamber.org/update/fireworks09.shtml
Fireworks display company: ?

Details:The economy is affecting everything and community celebrations are no different.Sally Wilson, executive director of the St. Marys Area Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber is trying to be proactive when it comes to the community's firework display July 3. The chamber has been doing the show in St. Marys for more than 20 years.In the past about 95 percent of the costs for the fireworks have come from area companies. This year many those companies are facing hard times because of the problems within the automobile manufacturers and those local companies may not be able to give the donations they have in the past. Because of this the chamber is reaching out to the community. Many companies in St. Marys produce parts or treat parts for automobiles. The number of people laid off makes it difficult for companies to continue to make donations, Wilson said.The fireworks display costs $16,000 and the chamber is starting with a balance of $2,000.To raise additional money this year there will be a Fireworks Friday event.It came about when the owner of The Village Peddler offered to hold a lasagna dinner to help the chamber raise money for the fireworks. The offer led to the plan to expand it into a Fireworks Friday event."We don't want to reduce the show so we are trying to come up with creative ways to raise money," Wilson said.The lasagna dinner will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. June 19. It will also be the day a concert will be held as part of the Summer Concert Series. The band "Plain and Simple" will perform from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Erie Avenue/Depot Street area.The chamber is also encouraging other businesses to run promotions that day and donate proceeds to the fireworks and to stay open later that night.