Fourth of July fireworks will be back in full force on Henderson Bay in Gig Harbor, WA this year.
The Henderson Bay Fireworks Committee has given the go-ahead to their contractor, Wolverine West Fireworks, to prepare a $27,000 show.
In its 10th year, the show will commence on a commercial barge in the middle of the bay after one-year hiatus.
Last year, the HBFC called off the show due to a lack of funding. The committee’s usual round of 100 letters, which requested donations from area residents, didn’t return enough to put on a show, and they sent money back to those who donated, said Larry Treleven, chair of HBFC.
This year was different.
“We’ve had so many great people step forward to help us out on this, it is just wonderful, and I guess it’s just kind of reassuring that people in the neighborhood are willing to invest to build strong communities,” Treleven said.
There’s just one problem: So far, the donation total is $7,000 short of its budget. If funds don’t come through, the three-member committee will have to fill the gap, Treleven said.
Whatever happens, the plans are for a show that’s bigger than ever before, said Rod Hash, partner for Wolverine West Fireworks.
“It’ll be better for everybody, because it is more larger shells, more large aerial shells to be viewed from a greater distance,” said Hash, who will launch the fireworks electronically from the barge.
The fireworks will burst at up to 800 feet in unpredictable shapes and colors.
“Chrysanthemums, peonies, falling leaves, colors, strobes and glittering,” Hash said. “You’ve got all kinds of different effects — serpents and lots of different variety.”
But as the show goes on, other areas may not be able to afford quite the same show they’ve had in past years, Hash said. He has had to increase prices by 5 to 6 percent due to the increased costs associated with buying products from China. On top of that, tighter federal regulations have upped the costs of doing business, Hash said.
“That is passed on to the end user; the client, the customer,” he said.
On Henderson Bay, this year’s Fourth of July will bring plenty to celebrate.
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