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News & ArtsFriday, April 2, 2010
City Fourth of July Firework Show Saved
Posted by Cienna Madrid on Fri, Apr 2, 2010 at 3:08 PM
- Hobbes8calvin via Flickr
My Northwest is reporting that 97.3 KIRO FM's Dave Ross and Seattle chef Tom Douglas have met their $500,000 goal, for a pledge drive that began yesterday morning, to save the fourth of July fireworks show on Lake Union. OneReel announced the cancellation of their annual fireworks display earlier this week after it couldn't find a sponsor for the event.
From My Northwest:
Douglas put out the challenge to Seattle area businesses to contribute what they could to keep a 4th of July fireworks show in Seattle.Calls and emails started pouring in from businesses large and small, bringing in tens of thousands of dollars to keep the fireworks show alive.
Microsoft and Starbucks agreed to match $125,000 each to return fireworks to Lake Union, bringing the total raised to $500,000.
Hurrah!
2
In before the pointless complaints about one of America's oldest and finest traditions. If I can love fireworks and patriotism and I'm one of the smelliest liberals around, everyone else can screw off while we enjoy the zim boom bah.
I do weep for all the poor scared kitties, however.
I do weep for all the poor scared kitties, however.
3
Hm. It wasn't MS and SB that raised it to $500k. After those pledges it was still only at, I think, about $350k.
Vulcan, Nordstrom's picked up a big part of the rest, and a lot more 1k/5k contributions probably came in to round it out.
Vulcan, Nordstrom's picked up a big part of the rest, and a lot more 1k/5k contributions probably came in to round it out.
4
There are so many more worthwhile things this community could do with $500,000. I can only hope that all of these donating businesses made it through the recession without laying off employees, trimming benefits, or lobbying against taxes to fill the state budget gap for education and human services, but I bet that's not the case.
5
I was about to say 'Now we can start complaining about the fireworks again. Whew!', but 4 is already there. Way to go Seattle!
7
To the anonymous winnar from the original thread this week who suggested that Seattle couldn't even get a fireworks show going, all I can say is: "I was right and you were wrong."
8
It does make one wonder though at just how hard One Reel tried to get a sponsor or sponsors for the event. I get the impression they thought they had to have a single company pay for the whole schmear, and apparently it never occurred to them (or so one would surmise) to go after a group of donors willing to pony up less than the required $500K individually, but still hit that mark collectively.
And now that the goal has been met, the next question that arises is: who exactly is putting this on? One Reel? KIRO? Who?
And yes @4, there probably are lots of things we collectively could have used the $500K for, but you know what? For most of the things you cite that amount of money wouldn't really have made all that much difference in the larger scheme of things. At least this is something EVERYONE, regardless of race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, class, status or income can enjoy EQUALLY.
Which, IMO at any rate, makes it totally worth the expense, particularly on the one day out of the year we're all supposed to feel a little pride in ourselves.
And now that the goal has been met, the next question that arises is: who exactly is putting this on? One Reel? KIRO? Who?
And yes @4, there probably are lots of things we collectively could have used the $500K for, but you know what? For most of the things you cite that amount of money wouldn't really have made all that much difference in the larger scheme of things. At least this is something EVERYONE, regardless of race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, class, status or income can enjoy EQUALLY.
Which, IMO at any rate, makes it totally worth the expense, particularly on the one day out of the year we're all supposed to feel a little pride in ourselves.
9
@4
Thanks for exemplifying the kind of Seattle asshole who can't ever muster a simple fucking 'thank you' without finding another thing to bitch about.
Thanks for exemplifying the kind of Seattle asshole who can't ever muster a simple fucking 'thank you' without finding another thing to bitch about.
10
I hope the collectivization of the sponsorship continues. There's something almost cute about it.
11
I believe the proper response to the news is to say "w00t." That or bitch about it.
Anyway, great to hear this major community event is still happening and it certainly made some good press for SB and MS. I just hope they find a way to make the show sustainable so we don't have to do this every year.
Anyway, great to hear this major community event is still happening and it certainly made some good press for SB and MS. I just hope they find a way to make the show sustainable so we don't have to do this every year.
13
$500,000 of your tax dollars is spent about every three minutes on the Iraq occupation. $500,000 is also the new pay cap for CEOs of corporations recieving bailout money. The average annual salary of a bailout bank's top CEO is about $20 million.
Anyway, yay for pretty fireworks!
Anyway, yay for pretty fireworks!
15
Saying it again; One Reel couldn't do it in a year (or more, since Chase gave advance notice that last year would be, well, their last year) needs to take a serious look at what they spent their money on. A local talk show host and a chef just schooled them. It never occurred to them to split the sponsorship?
16
As far as I can tell One Reel is a joke. Summer Nights at the Pier? Gone. Bumbershoot Fridays? Gone. 4th of July Fireworks? Damn near gone.
18
I donated $50. It's the least I could do since I'm partying at my friend's place on Lake Union every single 4th of July.
20
I'll say it also: Haiti.
And there are a number of nice small-town fireworks shows around that don't cost $500K.
And there are a number of nice small-town fireworks shows around that don't cost $500K.
21
I've never gone to the fireworks show - they're just not my sort of thing - but I am nevertheless quite pleased, because there's lots of people who really enjoy it. I'm all for people enjoying things.
23
@17 & @20:
I think it's commendable that both of you donate every penny of your disposable income to Haiti rather than wasting it on pleasurable things that you don't need. No beer, movies, plays, books, internet (oops), etc. - I don't know how you do it, but you are heroes.
I think it's commendable that both of you donate every penny of your disposable income to Haiti rather than wasting it on pleasurable things that you don't need. No beer, movies, plays, books, internet (oops), etc. - I don't know how you do it, but you are heroes.
25
The fireworks should be part of the City budget. C'mon. It's a public massive event celebrating a patriotic holiday. It's sad that businesses and citizens had to 'save" the 4th of July.
26
Ideally that is true, but you don't want a city to have to defend spending (taxpayer) money on fireworks while laying off city employees. It would probably become even less stable that way than with a reliable corporate sponsor.
27
Haiti?
But what about the hobos, they love fireworks and these are free for them rather than the price of a 40 and some crack to see fireworks.
But what about the hobos, they love fireworks and these are free for them rather than the price of a 40 and some crack to see fireworks.
28
actually all the potential sponsors backed off because it was being litigated. I dropped the suit last week (it was too much for me to handle as a non-lawyer) and One Reel immeduately put their media "woe is Seattle" blitz into action...
Lets see if they can do it w/o bringing heavy equipment into Gas Works...just let the park be...for the people...
Lets see if they can do it w/o bringing heavy equipment into Gas Works...just let the park be...for the people...
30
@8, This is also the one day out of the year that doesn't rain on our collective asses during a fireworks show.
31
Doug...it was never about the fireworks...It's about how the park gets used. Fucking One Reel haul all this fucking equipment in there that nobody else who gets a permit is allowed to do...and it is not safe... Let them just do no commercialism and let people hang out!
32
Am I allowed to bitch about wasting money on a fireworks display because I have had a deep, passionate hatred of fireworks my entire life? I hate fireworks.
@17 and 20, Haiti .. alright ... right.
@17 and 20, Haiti .. alright ... right.
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