Let’s keep our fingers crossed that as we get closer things do not destabilize. So far, so good.
Friday, June 28, 2013
Monday, June 24, 2013
The GRAND FINALE collections for the 2013 show cleared the $3,000.00 mark for the full Atlas match; we have $6,000.00 in value for the finale
If you have been following along you have already seen the blog post titled “An opportunity to increase the GRAND FINALE to the 2013 show and a chance to QUADRUPLE the impact of your donation” (but if not please take a quick look via the link).
Since June 6th we had engaged Atlas PyroVision Productions who the town had contracted with to do the 2012 and now the 2013 fireworks display.
In my discussions with them I told them The Fund tried to find a corporate sponsor last year to increase the size of the Grand Finale and we were unsuccessful. This year was the same too – no corporation came forward to be the Grand Finale Sponsor in 2013 so they decided to help out.
Atlas PyroVision Productions agreed to match dollar for dollar all the donations that came into the Fund as part of the Grand Finale drive up to $3,000.00.
I decided to help that effort to get us to that high water mark by matching donations on the spot up to my entire Town Council pay for the quarter (roughly $1,500.00).
As of yesterday with all the deposits in we sat at a little over $2,000.00; adding my $1,500.00 to that takes us to $3,500.00 so with that we will get the full Atlas match.
Congratulations Wallingford; in 2013 you have done the following:
-- Saved the 2013 4th of July Independence Day fireworks celebration
-- Restored the 2013 R Band musical performance
-- Added to the 2013 Grand Finale collection an additional $3,500.00 which gets us $6,000.00 worth of fireworks for the Grand Finale
-- Set the savings account of the fund with a $2,000.00 surplus for additional expenses (as they come - we are paid in full right now); the remainder will roll to 2014 (if fundraising is needed).
Wallingford - you should be proud four times over. I said "let's roll" at the end of February and you rolled and we have done more than ever before.
See you Saturday July 6th for the fireworks.
Since June 6th we had engaged Atlas PyroVision Productions who the town had contracted with to do the 2012 and now the 2013 fireworks display.
In my discussions with them I told them The Fund tried to find a corporate sponsor last year to increase the size of the Grand Finale and we were unsuccessful. This year was the same too – no corporation came forward to be the Grand Finale Sponsor in 2013 so they decided to help out.
Atlas PyroVision Productions agreed to match dollar for dollar all the donations that came into the Fund as part of the Grand Finale drive up to $3,000.00.
I decided to help that effort to get us to that high water mark by matching donations on the spot up to my entire Town Council pay for the quarter (roughly $1,500.00).
As of yesterday with all the deposits in we sat at a little over $2,000.00; adding my $1,500.00 to that takes us to $3,500.00 so with that we will get the full Atlas match.
Congratulations Wallingford; in 2013 you have done the following:
-- Saved the 2013 4th of July Independence Day fireworks celebration
-- Restored the 2013 R Band musical performance
-- Added to the 2013 Grand Finale collection an additional $3,500.00 which gets us $6,000.00 worth of fireworks for the Grand Finale
-- Set the savings account of the fund with a $2,000.00 surplus for additional expenses (as they come - we are paid in full right now); the remainder will roll to 2014 (if fundraising is needed).
Wallingford - you should be proud four times over. I said "let's roll" at the end of February and you rolled and we have done more than ever before.
See you Saturday July 6th for the fireworks.
Saturday, June 22, 2013
FINAL Collections for Saturday June 22nd - Wayne and I will be at the Recycling Center and the Landfill to about noon. This is the FINAL COLLECTION for the GRAND FINALE to the 2013 show.
Wayne and I will be out collecting this morning Saturday June 22nd for the FINAL COLLECTION for the GRAND FINALE to the 2013 show.
You may have already seen the blog post titled “An opportunity to increase the GRAND FINALE to the 2013 show and a chance to QUADRUPLE the impact of your donation” but if not please take a quick look via the link.
We have to send in the money on Monday (originally is was yesterday but I got the extra weekend out of them) and we are $200.00 left to deposit to get to the $1,500.00 target which would add a total of $6,000.00 to the Grand Finale with the two donation matching efforts that are ongoing.
At the same time, please feel free to mail those donations in or donate via Paypal.
Below is the link to Paypal or you can mail your tax deductible donation to:
Wallingford Fireworks Fund
c/o Jason Zandri
35 Lincoln Drive EXT
Wallingford, CT 06492
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Bucks for the bang; Meriden City Council finds money for July 4 fireworks
As published in the Record Journal Thursday June 20,
2013
By Dan Brechlin
Record-Journal staff dbrechlin@record-journal.com
(203) 317-2266
Twitter: @DanBrechlinRJ
MERIDEN — Fourth of July fireworks will go on this year, as the City Council unanimously approved spending $25,000 for the show earlier this week, using taxpayer money for the second consecutive year.
In 2009, Meriden stopped funding fireworks and the event was moved from Hubbard Park to Westfield Meriden mall under private sponsorship. Just a few weeks before July 4 last year, city officials were notified that the mall would not hold the event. To save the fireworks, the council appropriated $20,000 just before the holiday.
This year was similar, with the council using expected funds from a surplus to fund $25,000 worth of fireworks.
“It’s such a tradition for Meriden in an iconic location over there in Hubbard Park and people enjoy it,” Mayor Michael S. Rohde said. “The money was available, so the councilors just decided it would be a good idea.”
Some residents have asked why the city is spending the money and why donations are not sought instead. Fireworks in Wallingford are funded through private donations, having been removed from the town budget in an effort to cut costs.
Republican City Councilor Dan Brunet said it may make sense to take a closer look at the fireworks issue, but he doesn’t see an issue with the expenditure.
“So many people actually attend the annual event,” Brunet said. “This year it went a little under the radar and it was too late to pull for donations.”
Councilor Steven Iovanna, a Democrat, agreed that the popularity of the fireworks made approving the funds an easier decision. Still, rethinking how they are funded could be something to address in the next fiscal year, he said.
“It would be good if we could find another single donor or group of donors to cover the cost or at least defray the cost,” he said.
Raising the money through donations is difficult, said Wallingford Town Councilor Jason Zandri. For the last four years, Zandri has been among a small corps of people fundraising for the town’s fireworks.
“There is nothing easy about what I’m doing,” Zandri warned, noting that each year the goal has only narrowly been met.
Wallingford has secured The Campus at Greenhill as a $15,000 sponsor for the last two years. The rest of the funds are raised through private donations and at a dinner.
Zandri said many will question if the fireworks are worth it because it is something people want, but do not necessarily need.
“When things are bad, we need these types of things,” said Zandri, who is running for mayor. “The community needs these types of activities to keep the community looking on the bright side.”
Mayor William W. Dickinson Jr. has said that budget issues are to blame for the absence offireworks funding.
“I don’t dislike fireworks ,” Dickinson told the Record-Journal last month. “I think they’re fun, actually.”
But the cost of fireworks could make them a questionable expense.
“It’s a difficult decision because, at the end of the day, it’s just fireworks,” Iovanna said. “On the other hand, it’s an important thing. Everybody has always gone as kid and brings their kids now. And it’s a huge patriotic thing.”
Rohde agreed, noting that it is an important event for the city. In his resolution, Rohde noted that the holiday “should be appropriately celebrated in keeping with the expectations of our residents.”
“It ranks with the lights in the park at Christmas and the Daffodil Festival,” Rohde said. “Those are things that put Meriden on the map. It’s free and allows people to enjoy with their families. I think all of that factored in with the decision.”
By Dan Brechlin
Record-Journal staff dbrechlin@record-journal.com
(203) 317-2266
Twitter: @DanBrechlinRJ
MERIDEN — Fourth of July fireworks will go on this year, as the City Council unanimously approved spending $25,000 for the show earlier this week, using taxpayer money for the second consecutive year.
In 2009, Meriden stopped funding fireworks and the event was moved from Hubbard Park to Westfield Meriden mall under private sponsorship. Just a few weeks before July 4 last year, city officials were notified that the mall would not hold the event. To save the fireworks, the council appropriated $20,000 just before the holiday.
This year was similar, with the council using expected funds from a surplus to fund $25,000 worth of fireworks.
“It’s such a tradition for Meriden in an iconic location over there in Hubbard Park and people enjoy it,” Mayor Michael S. Rohde said. “The money was available, so the councilors just decided it would be a good idea.”
Some residents have asked why the city is spending the money and why donations are not sought instead. Fireworks in Wallingford are funded through private donations, having been removed from the town budget in an effort to cut costs.
Republican City Councilor Dan Brunet said it may make sense to take a closer look at the fireworks issue, but he doesn’t see an issue with the expenditure.
“So many people actually attend the annual event,” Brunet said. “This year it went a little under the radar and it was too late to pull for donations.”
Councilor Steven Iovanna, a Democrat, agreed that the popularity of the fireworks made approving the funds an easier decision. Still, rethinking how they are funded could be something to address in the next fiscal year, he said.
“It would be good if we could find another single donor or group of donors to cover the cost or at least defray the cost,” he said.
Raising the money through donations is difficult, said Wallingford Town Councilor Jason Zandri. For the last four years, Zandri has been among a small corps of people fundraising for the town’s fireworks.
“There is nothing easy about what I’m doing,” Zandri warned, noting that each year the goal has only narrowly been met.
Wallingford has secured The Campus at Greenhill as a $15,000 sponsor for the last two years. The rest of the funds are raised through private donations and at a dinner.
Zandri said many will question if the fireworks are worth it because it is something people want, but do not necessarily need.
“When things are bad, we need these types of things,” said Zandri, who is running for mayor. “The community needs these types of activities to keep the community looking on the bright side.”
Mayor William W. Dickinson Jr. has said that budget issues are to blame for the absence offireworks funding.
“I don’t dislike fireworks ,” Dickinson told the Record-Journal last month. “I think they’re fun, actually.”
But the cost of fireworks could make them a questionable expense.
“It’s a difficult decision because, at the end of the day, it’s just fireworks,” Iovanna said. “On the other hand, it’s an important thing. Everybody has always gone as kid and brings their kids now. And it’s a huge patriotic thing.”
Rohde agreed, noting that it is an important event for the city. In his resolution, Rohde noted that the holiday “should be appropriately celebrated in keeping with the expectations of our residents.”
“It ranks with the lights in the park at Christmas and the Daffodil Festival,” Rohde said. “Those are things that put Meriden on the map. It’s free and allows people to enjoy with their families. I think all of that factored in with the decision.”
Friday, June 14, 2013
Collections for Saturday June 15th - Wayne and Steve will be at the Recycling Center and the Landfill to about noon. Let’s increase the GRAND FINALE to the 2013 show and right now you can QUADRUPLE the impact of your donation
You may have already seen the blog post titled “An opportunity to increase the GRAND FINALE to the 2013 show and a chance to QUADRUPLE the impact of your donation” but if not please take a quick look via the link.
In summary, I have pledged my entire Town Council pay for the quarter – up to $1,500.00 – as part of a donation matching effort and at this point we are sitting just a hair over $1,000.00. With that I am committing an additional $1,000.00 to The Fund so out total to date for the Grand Finale for the Campus at Greenhill 2013 Wallingford Fireworks Independence Day Celebration is $2,000.00
There's more to the story - Atlas PyroVision Productions who the town had contracted with to do the show has offered to The Fund to match whatever additional amount we send them towards the Grand Finale so they are currently pledging an additional $2,000.00 against this planned donation at this point.
As we keep moving the needle over this weekend I will continue my matching and they will as well. We can very easily get the total up to $1,500.00 which adds $6,000.00 to the GRAND FINALE.
We have until June 21st. We’ll be out from 8AM to Noon (or a little after that) at the Wallingford Landfill and the Recycling Center to collect the additional donations for the Grand Finale to the Campus at Greenhill 2013 Wallingford Fireworks Independence Day Celebration – we hope you can stop by.
Otherwise please feel free to mail those donations in or donate via Paypal.
Below is the link to Paypal or you can mail your tax deductible donation to:
Wallingford Fireworks Fund
c/o Jason Zandri
35 Lincoln Drive EXT
Wallingford, CT 06492
In summary, I have pledged my entire Town Council pay for the quarter – up to $1,500.00 – as part of a donation matching effort and at this point we are sitting just a hair over $1,000.00. With that I am committing an additional $1,000.00 to The Fund so out total to date for the Grand Finale for the Campus at Greenhill 2013 Wallingford Fireworks Independence Day Celebration is $2,000.00
There's more to the story - Atlas PyroVision Productions who the town had contracted with to do the show has offered to The Fund to match whatever additional amount we send them towards the Grand Finale so they are currently pledging an additional $2,000.00 against this planned donation at this point.
As we keep moving the needle over this weekend I will continue my matching and they will as well. We can very easily get the total up to $1,500.00 which adds $6,000.00 to the GRAND FINALE.
We have until June 21st. We’ll be out from 8AM to Noon (or a little after that) at the Wallingford Landfill and the Recycling Center to collect the additional donations for the Grand Finale to the Campus at Greenhill 2013 Wallingford Fireworks Independence Day Celebration – we hope you can stop by.
Otherwise please feel free to mail those donations in or donate via Paypal.
Below is the link to Paypal or you can mail your tax deductible donation to:
Wallingford Fireworks Fund
c/o Jason Zandri
35 Lincoln Drive EXT
Wallingford, CT 06492
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
The Rock Hill KKids donation takes the weekend totals to the edge of $1,000.00 for the GRAND FINALE push
Cheryl DiBennedetto and Angela Buccheri co-advise Rock Hill's K-Kids which is a group of third, fourth, and fifth graders. This year the group has done many projects including: a Pennies for Patients campaign, a book drive for Read to Grow, Inc, and a Relay for Life team.
The final project of the year was an ice pop sale for the Wallingford Firework Fund.
In the weeks leading up to the sale students made posters and announcements. The day of the sale students counted and delivered pops to classrooms. The suggested donation was a dollar but many families exceeded that with very generous donations. The advisors assumed the money raised would go towards next year's celebration since the fundraising goal had been met. They were not aware of the Grand Finale campaign until fourth grader Hadley Rogers told them excitedly in school Friday morning.
With that, they made their $273.00 donation Saturday morning at the collection station I was working at the Wallingford Landfill and helped push that total and the total collected at the Recycling Center by Wayne Montefusco to $718.00.
With Paypal donations sitting at $243.00 the current balance toward the Grand Finale is now $961.00.
I pledged last week that I would match up to $1,500.00 all donations made to The Fund out of my Town Council pay for Q2 (that is the entire amount I earn for the quarter). So that adds an additional $961.00 for a new total of $1,922.00
In discussions I had with Atlas PyroVision Productions, who the town has contracted again this year to do the show, they agreed to help us with the effort - they are willing to match The Fund donations toward the add on to the Grand Finale dollar for dollar as well (up to $3,000.00) so right now the add on to the Campus at Greenhill 2013 Wallingford Fireworks Celebration sits at $3,844.00.
I am really excited over the response since we just got started Friday morning!
I am setting the bar - Wallingford can hit $1,500.00; that taps out my entire match at $1,500.00 and Atlas' for their $3,000.00.
So the reality is - we have "just" $539.00 to go to make a set target. (But we'll keep collecting above and beyond that).
Weather permitting this will be our best show ever!
So with that let's mail those donations in or donate via Paypal.
Below is the link to Paypal or you can mail your tax deductible donation to:
Wallingford Fireworks Fund
c/o Jason Zandri
35 Lincoln Drive EXT
Wallingford, CT 06492
The final project of the year was an ice pop sale for the Wallingford Firework Fund.
In the weeks leading up to the sale students made posters and announcements. The day of the sale students counted and delivered pops to classrooms. The suggested donation was a dollar but many families exceeded that with very generous donations. The advisors assumed the money raised would go towards next year's celebration since the fundraising goal had been met. They were not aware of the Grand Finale campaign until fourth grader Hadley Rogers told them excitedly in school Friday morning.
With that, they made their $273.00 donation Saturday morning at the collection station I was working at the Wallingford Landfill and helped push that total and the total collected at the Recycling Center by Wayne Montefusco to $718.00.
With Paypal donations sitting at $243.00 the current balance toward the Grand Finale is now $961.00.
I pledged last week that I would match up to $1,500.00 all donations made to The Fund out of my Town Council pay for Q2 (that is the entire amount I earn for the quarter). So that adds an additional $961.00 for a new total of $1,922.00
In discussions I had with Atlas PyroVision Productions, who the town has contracted again this year to do the show, they agreed to help us with the effort - they are willing to match The Fund donations toward the add on to the Grand Finale dollar for dollar as well (up to $3,000.00) so right now the add on to the Campus at Greenhill 2013 Wallingford Fireworks Celebration sits at $3,844.00.
I am really excited over the response since we just got started Friday morning!
I am setting the bar - Wallingford can hit $1,500.00; that taps out my entire match at $1,500.00 and Atlas' for their $3,000.00.
So the reality is - we have "just" $539.00 to go to make a set target. (But we'll keep collecting above and beyond that).
Weather permitting this will be our best show ever!
So with that let's mail those donations in or donate via Paypal.
Below is the link to Paypal or you can mail your tax deductible donation to:
Wallingford Fireworks Fund
c/o Jason Zandri
35 Lincoln Drive EXT
Wallingford, CT 06492
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Rock Hill KKids make a donation towards the Campus at Greenhill 2013 Wallingford Fireworks Independence Day Celebration Grand Finale
The Rock Hill KKids made a donation this AM. I’ll have more on this in another post over the weekend but in short it was a $273.00 donation that I am going to match so that makes the donation $546.00 and with Atlas matching the donation from The Fund this donation is $1,092.00 in total going towards the Campus at Greenhill 2013 Wallingford Fireworks Independence Day Celebration Grand Finale!
Rock Hill KKids, what can I say? You do in fact, ROCK!
The sun is out; Wayne and I will be at the Recycling Center and the Landfill to about noon. Let’s increase the GRAND FINALE to the 2013 show and right now you can QUADRUPLE the impact of your donation.
I put up a blog post Thursday night titled “An opportunity to increase the GRAND FINALE to the 2013 show and a chance to QUADRUPLE the impact of your donation” and in that time we have already collected via Paypal $220.00.
I have pledged my entire Town Council pay for the quarter – up to $1,500.00 - as part of a donation matching effort so that makes the total $440.00.
Atlas PyroVision Productions who the town had contracted with to do the show has offered to The Fund to match whatever additional amount we send them towards the Grand Finale so they are currently pledging $440.00 against our donations.
In basically 24 hours we have moved the needle $880.00.
We have until June 21st. We’ll be out from 9AM to Noon (or a little after that) at the Wallingford Landfill and the Recycling Center to collect the additional donations for the Grand Finale to the Campus at Greenhill 2013 Wallingford Fireworks Independence Day Celebration – we hope you can stop by.
Otherwise please feel free to mail those donations in or donate via Paypal.
Below is the link to Paypal or you can mail your tax deductible donation to:
Wallingford Fireworks Fund
c/o Jason Zandri
35 Lincoln Drive EXT
Wallingford, CT 06492
Thursday, June 6, 2013
An opportunity to increase the GRAND FINALE to the 2013 show and a chance to QUADRUPLE the impact of your donation.
I spent some time exchanging emails with Atlas PyroVision Productions who the town had contracted with to do the show. This is the same vendor that the town used last year. The emails lead to a phone call and a conversation regarding the Grand Finale.
The Fund tried to find a corporate sponsor last year to increase the size of the Grand Finale and we were unsuccessful. This year was the same too – no corporation came forward to be the Grand Finale Sponsor in 2013.
With that, we ended up this year as we did last year with what I will call a packaged grand finale. It is a nice finale and it fits within the constraints of the cost of the overall budget of the show - $11,600.00
So working with Atlas PyroVision Productions to see what we could do about upping the end of the show they came up with the following offer: whatever we can drum up in donations from now to June 21st (as Monday the 24th is the last day they can make program changes) they will match donations dollar for dollar.
In the spirit of that effort I am personally going to do the same out of my own pocket so that your donation has FOUR TIMES THE IMPACT. I will match your donations dollar for dollar.
If you go online today at the Paypal link below (or mail in your donation) and donate (as an example) $25.00, the end result of your donation becomes $100.00. As you donate $25.00 I will put in a matching amount into the Fund for a total of $50.00. When that donation is sent to Atlas PyroVision Productions as payment on the upgraded Grand Finale, they will add their $50.00 to it and the total donation will become $100.00.
I have a maximum of $1,500.00 to do this with but I would love to have a problem of running out of money to match with; at that point alone the finale would be $6,000.00 worth of fireworks as your donations and my match would be matched by them to total $6,000.00 (in this example).
So let’s do this Wallingford; we have 15 days. Let’s see just how much more we can drive into the Grand Finale for the 2013 event!
Below is the link to Paypal or you can mail your tax deductible donation to:
Wallingford Fireworks Fund
c/o Jason Zandri
35 Lincoln Drive EXT
Wallingford, CT 06492
Sunday, June 2, 2013
VIDEO – The Wallingford Fireworks Fund makes the donation to the Town of Wallingford
Below is the video clip from the May 25th Town Council meeting where Steve Murray, Wayne Montefusco, and myself made the donation to the Town of Wallingford for the Campus at Greenhill 2013 Wallingford Fireworks Celebration.
The money collected and donated not only covered the cost for the Independence Day Fireworks celebration (including all the costs for the town services and overtime) but it also covered the costs to have the R Band perform. Those costs are the fees for the band itself along with the additional overtime for Public Works and use of the ShowMobile and the sound system rental and setup.
This is incredibly important to note; the Fund has never been able to save the R Band performance before. The performance in 2012 was made possible by funds remaining in the Park and Recreation budget the the Council restored for that use; prior to that the last time they performed was the last time the event was paid for by the town which was 2009.
That was all made possible by you Wallingford. Pat yourselves on the back and keep up to date on the blog for any other updates between now and the Independence Day Fireworks celebration (just 34 days away at the time of this post on June 2, 2013).
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Winners and Losers this week in the Record Journal
As published in the Record Journal on Saturday June 1, 2013
For the fourth consecutive year, fundraising has made the annual Fourth of July fireworks celebration possible. In 2009, the mayor stopped including funds for fireworks show in the town budget. In response, Town Councilors Jason Zandri and Craig Fishbein formed the Wallingford Fireworks Fund, a nonprofit organization, to raise money for the event. Fishbein has since ended his participation with the group, but still advocates for the show. Zandri continues to work with a small group of volunteers that collected the approximately $30,000 that’s needed for the show.
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