Fireworks funding effort exploding toward goal
Fund raisers are almost halfway to their goal in six days to pay for 2015 fireworks.
Just six days into its fund raising effort to sustain a Shelter Island’s exhibition this summer, a small group of organizers with a GoFundMe page have raised almost half of the $40,000 needed to pay for the program.As of Thursday morning, the campaign launched by Kelly and Brett Surerus, Carla Cadzin and James Richardson has raised $19,396 from 63 donors, including a $2,000 pledge from Andre Balazs, owner of the Sunset Beach Motel.
The Chamber of Commerce, which has traditionally done the fund raising and organized the event, had announced last week what had been rumored for months — that they could no longer raise the funds needed to have the show.
Tonight, Thursday, the Chamber of Commerce Board is being asked by the fund raisers if it would organize the event providing they can reach the $40,000 goal.
Ms. Surerus said the Chamber has the contacts and knows about contracts and other logistics of running the program.
On Wednesday, Chamber President Art Williams said he expected the fund raising effort would be too little, too late, given the need to book a fireworks company for the event and get other permits and arrangements in place.
Mr. Williams also said a lot of Island businesses weren’t fans of the event because they weren’t benefitting from it. Ms. Surerus acknowledged that might be the case on the night of the fireworks, but said she thought a lot of visitors who came for the fireworks would be likely to return for longer stays on Shelter Island that ultimately would help the business community.
Mr. Williams declined comment Thursday morning on the latest fund raising numbers and whether or not the Chamber might be willing to organize the event if the money could be raised within the next week or so.
