By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
With 91 days left until the annual Fourth of July fireworks show, Lawrence Township officials have raised $21,000, which means it is about two-thirds of the way toward meeting the goal of raising $35,000 for the event.
Now, fireworks supporters have a chance to close the gap by supporting an April 12 fundraiser at Enzo’s la Piccola restaurant on Princeton Avenue. This is the second fundraiser sponsored by the restaurant this year.
Rider University, which will host the fireworks show, recently donated $10,000. That donation helped to push the fundraising effort toward the two-thirds mark, said Steven Groeger, the township Superintendent of Recreation.
The Lawrence Township Recreation Department has coordinated the private fundraising efforts for the Fourth of July fireworks show since 2010, when Township Council eliminated money for the show from the municipal budget.
”We are continuing to look for donations and contributions,” Mr. Groeger said. “We put on a $15,000 fireworks show last year, and we would like to do a $20,000 show this year. The objective is to raise enough money for a $20,000 show and have some money left over to kick off (fundraising) for 2014.”
”We still need to raise $10,000 to put on a $20,000 show,” he said. In addition to the cost of the fireworks shells, money in the fireworks fund pays for the musical entertainment before the fireworks show, plus the cost of providing police officers and permits. It costs about $8,000 to $10,000 to provide the entertainment and other costs.
Mr. Groeger said that more money means a bigger show. The typical fireworks shows cost about $10,000, but last year the township raised enough money to produce a larger show which was made possible through contributions from individuals and businesses, as well as Rider University and The Lawrenceville School, he said.
A two-and-a-half inch fireworks shell costs $2, and a three-and-a-half shell costs $3 to $4, he said. A five-and-a-half inch shell costs $12 to $25, and a six-and-a-half inch shell costs $18 to $35. A “cake,” which is a ground effects fireworks shell, costs $70 to $125.
Additional fundraisers are planned for May and June, starting with the May 9 event at the Chee’burger Chee’burger restaurant at the Mercer Mall. The restaurant has pledged to donate 20 percent of a patron’s bill toward the fireworks fund if the patron brings in a special fundraiser flier between 5:30 p.m. and 9 p.m.
On May 19, Applebee’s restaurant on Brunswick Pike, next to the Quaker Bridge Mall, has also agreed to participate in a fundraising event. And on June 8, Captain Paul’s Firehouse Dogs on Princeton Pike has agreed to host a fundraiser for the fireworks show.
In the meantime, canisters have been distributed to area businesses so customers can make a donation toward the fireworks show. There are canisters at Bossio’s Deli, Varsity Pizza, Dunkin Donuts and the Tastee Sub Shop, all on Lawrence Road in the Eldridge Park neighborhood.
There are canisters at Candela’s restaurant on Lawn Park Avenue, which is around the corner from the Lawrence Road businesses, and at Chuckles Pizza and Pasta restaurant at the Manors Corners Shopping Center on the Lawrenceville-Pennington Road.
Mr. Groeger said residents may send a check, made payable to the Lawrence Township Recreation Department, with a note in the memo line that says “fireworks,” to help raise money for the fireworks show. Whether the donation is 12 cents in change dropped into a canister or a check for $5, every penny counts, he said.
While additional fundraisers are in the works, Mr. Groeger said groups or businesses that want to hold fundraisers to contact him at the Lawrence Township Recreation Department at 609-844-7067 weekdays, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
