With just 11 days left to sign a contract to have fireworks at the Columbus Fourth of July festival, Polk County commissioners decided Monday to fund the remaining balance.
Commissioners agreed to fund up to $9,000, including the $1,000 already raised by the Fourth of July committee. Other donations pledged Monday reduced the amount the county will likely have to pay to approximately $7,000.
Commissioners each pledged to personally contribute $100 for the fireworks. Larger donations also came Monday from the Polk County Economic Development Commission (EDC), whose chair, Ambrose Mills, said his board will put up $500, and from Millard & Company. Andy Millard of Millard & Company said his company would match the EDC’s $500 contribution.
Columbus councilwoman and Fourth of July committee chair Ernie Kan said she is on “cloud nine” after commissioners agreed to help with the costs of the festival.
Kan said yesterday she is relieved and very appreciative to commissioners and all who have donated so far.
Commissioner Ted Owens said Monday that part of his reasoning for wanting to help the festival is the Fourth of July event started many years ago as a county festival that was held in the county seat. Owens said he appreciates the efforts of Kan and the committee for bringing the festival back to a hometown feel. This year’s Fabulous Fourth will be the 49th annual event.
“I’ve been involved with the festival since the 1970s,” Owens said. “They call it the Columbus Fourth, but it’s really the county’s Fourth.”
Commissioner chair Ray Gasperson said the festival is a trigger that will bring on other events in the county.
“For that reason it seems like a wise use of money,” Gasperson said. “If you’ve ever been (to the festival), you’ll realize this is indeed a Polk County event.”
The Bulletin recently polled readers on its website (www.tryondailybulletin.com) about whether people would go to the Fourth of July festival if there were no fireworks. As of noon Tuesday, there were 52 (61 percent) “no” responses, 24 (28 percent) “yes” responses and 9 (11 percent) “maybe” responses. The question so far has drawn one of the highest response rates of any poll question on the website.
Kan mentioned that the festival is being downsized this year, with the committee hoping to spend about $15,000 on the festival instead of the $31,482 spent last year by the town.
“So far we have spoken to 100 businesses face to face and only collected $1,000,” Kan said.
The committee has also mailed out other requests to businesses for donations. Kan said some expenses have been paid for through donations. For example, AllBright Sanitation has agreed to provide the port-a-jons and a truck for trash, McKinsey Printing did printing at no cost for the festival and Grace Foothills Church in Tryon has volunteered to do the clean-up following the festival.
The committee has decided not to have golf carts or tents, not to pay for street sweeping and to spend much less on music this year. Kan told commissioners the $15,000 the committee needs to raise includes the almost $10,000 for fireworks, $2,000 for entertainment, $1,500 for the police department as well as other expenses such as electricity.
Columbus Town Council decided last year not to budget any money for the Fourth of July festival to avoid a tax increase. The fireworks company gave the town until the end of January of this year to sign the fireworks contract, with half the costs due then. With little money raised by January, the fireworks company extended the deadline for payment until April 15 to secure the fireworks for the event.
Many at Monday’s meeting expressed their appreciation to Kan for her hard work and volunteerism on the project.
Commissioner Cindy Walker thanked Kan and called her a “force of nature” when it comes to volunteering and fundraising.
The county’s funding for the fireworks will come out of its travel and tourism budget, which has approximately $9,000  remaining.
Kan urges local vendors to sign up for the festival soon. A small booth can be rented for $25, with food booths available for $200. For more information regarding booth rentals and the festival, go to www.columbusnc.com and click on “events” from the top menu.
With the fireworks taken care of, the committee still needs to raise about $5,000 for other festival expenses. Donations can be sent to Columbus Town Hall, P.O. Box 146, Columbus, N.C.  28722. Be sure to mark the donation for “Fourth of July.