Shake the pail collections for Saturday March 21st

Yes the weather still looks winter-like and there will be snow but we are going to be out there regardless.

At 7:30AM Wayne will be at the North Colony Dunkin Donuts

At 8AM we will have Bobby O set up at the South Colony Dunkin.

Kelly will be at the Wallingford Landfill from 8AM to about 10:30 and I will be there from that point forward.

Our plan is to man all three locations until 12 or 12:30.

Beyond just collecting donations at these locations, we are also going to be handing out information regarding our Paint Night for Charity for the Wallingford Fireworks Fund event.

We will also have information available regarding our 2015 Program Guide and the advertising rates.

We are also looking into other possible revenue generating possibilities but we need more help to do these types of things year round; six people are not enough. If you have the time, energy, and desire, we are looking for people to help us out.

For folks that want to donate but cannot come by this weekend you can also do so via Paypal:

If you'd rather mail us a donation that can be done via:

Wallingford Fireworks Fund
c/o Jason Zandri
35 Lincoln Drive EXT
Wallingford CT 06492
Thank you for all your past support and for your consideration in 2015

Looking for volunteers for the 2015 season (and beyond)

Hi everyone.

Over the years we are invariably approached with the comments of “I wish I could do more” and one of the responses I always give back to that statement are “We can always use another warm body.”

The Fund is looking at the possibility of trying a couple new things this year – one is the Paint Night for Charity event and that actually comes to us via a group that is doing this once a month for different organizations; we happen to be a lucky (and grateful) recipient of their efforts. Other than trying to get people to go to that, our part is limited.

The Fund is also planning to submit an application to the state gaming and special revenue division to apply for a permit to host a (hopefully) weekly BINGO event as allowed under 501(c)3 rules.

If we are successful, this will allow a much steadier stream of earnings to The Fund as well as year round presence.

In order to do that we need more help; the game cannot be run with less than six volunteers. So with that, this is our call for help from those that might be interested.

We are targeting Monday nights right now on a weekly basis. We do not necessarily need anyone to come EVERY Monday night (it would be awesome but it is far from a requirement). If you could do one or two a month from 5:30PM to about 9 to 9:30PM that is all that is needed.

If you have any interest in helping out or just getting some additional information please let me know – my email address is Jason@Zandri.net (best way to contact me) or via my cell phone at (860) 614 6069

Thank you for the consideration.

 

 

WALLINGFORD FIREWORKS FUND 2015 Program Guide

Paint Night for Charity for the Wallingford Fireworks Fund

Paint Night for Charity for the Wallingford Fireworks Fund

Wednesday, May 20 at 7:00PM to 9:00PM Jakes Tavern LLC

179 Center St, Wallingford, Connecticut 06492

Our charity for May is the Wallingford Fireworks Fund. For five years the people of Wallingford have raised tens of thousands of dollars to keep the fireworks show going to celebrate Independence Day.

Read more about the Wallingford Fireworks Fund here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/wallingfordfireworks/
or visit our blog http://wallingfordfireworks.blogspot.com/

Tickets are $45 and are limited to 40 people on a first come, first serve basis.
Tickets can be purchased through Pat Harriman at
Harriman Real Estate, LLC, 116 Center Street, Wallingford.
Cash or make checks payable to Pat Harriman.

Artist Karen Ciocca from Moonflower Studio will teach us how to paint our fireworks over liberty scene.

Please be sure to patronize our generous venue donor Jakes Tavern LLC!

First “Shake the Pail” collections for 2015

As we try to do each year, we are kicking off the collections for the fireworks. This year, like the prior two, this is in spite of the fact that there is still a ton of snow on the ground. (In contrast, in 2011 I think it was, the temperatures were in the 50s).

Kelly and Steve will be collecting from 8AM to Noon this Saturday March 7th at the Wallingford Landfill and myself and Wayne will be at the Dunkin Donuts on NORTH Colony road (near Shop Rite / Wal-Mart) also from 8AM to about noon.

Information regarding our overall effort can be found on the prior post “Kicking off the 2015 Fireworks Collections” – there is also a link there for PAYPAL if you’d like to make your donation to us right now.

Our guesstimate on the cost of the pyrotechnics (the fireworks themselves) is $15,000.00 It may be a little more than that; we are unsure of the costs until the town gets the bids back and makes a selection.

Also, as pointed out in the prior post as well, the entire show this year is contingent on the town supplying the town services. Where in years prior (all of the last five) The Fund has collected donations to also pay these, the six of us, collectively, decided we would not this year and that it was up to the town to step up.

We expect to be able to reach the $15,000.00 as we have been able to exceed that amount every year. So long as the town does their part, this tradition will continue.

Please consider supporting us online or stopping by with your donation.

If you’d rather make a donation by check please do so at:

Wallingford Fireworks Fund
c/o Jason Zandri
35 Lincoln Drive EXT
Wallingford CT 06492

Thank you for all your past support and for your consideration in 2015

 

 

 

Kicking off the 2015 Fireworks Collections

Well gang – there may be three feet of snow still on the ground but only 12 weeks remain for us to collect the $15,000.00 donation for the 2015 4th of July Independence Day celebration as the office of the Mayor of the Town of Wallingford requires all the funds in for the show by the last Friday in May.

For 2015, the Wallingford Fireworks Fund is only collecting for the fireworks (the pyrotechnics) which is a departure from what we have done the prior five years. We will not be collecting for the town services; Police overtime, Fire Department overtime, Public Works overtime, Board of Education overtime and so on.

The Fund feels that it shouldn’t be the responsibility of the Fund nor the donors to cover overtime for town employees.

Since 2010, these are the total amounts of overtime and other services The Wallingford Fireworks fund, through its donors, has paid to the employees of the Town of Wallingford:

Police Overtime		$40,501.00
Fire Department / Overtime		$10,200.00
Fire Marshall		$4,450.00
Public Works		$1,055.00
Board of Ed		$1,610.00
All totals		$57,816.00

We’ve entered into a dialog with the town regarding this; they are planning a discussion during the upcoming budget workshops.

The estimated cost for services for 2015 that the Town of Wallingford will need to cover are:

Police Overtime		$9,004.00
Fire Department / Overtime		$2,400.00
Port-o-lets		$200.00
Fire Marshall		$950.00
Board of Ed		$480.00
2014 Total		$13,034.00

Because there is no expectation to have the R Band this year, there is no expectation to have costs for Public Works overtime for the event.

The Fund spoke at a recent Council meeting on the topic and pledged the $15,000.00 (provided we can raise it all) as long as the town covers it’s services.

With that, we will begin collecting this Saturday, March 7th, at the North Colony Dunkin Donuts (near Shop Rite) from 8AM to about noon. We will also be collecting at the Wallingford Landfill the same hours – 8AM to about noon.

Alternately – you can mail your tax deductable donation (we are a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization - tax id# is 27-2576599) to:

Wallingford Fireworks Fund
c/o 35 Lincoln Drive EXT
Wallingford CT 06492

We also accept donations online via Paypal

We hope you can help out in any way you can; every dollar helps.

I also want to make two things crystal clear in an effort to be as transparent as possible – if the Town of Wallingford chooses to NOT fund the overtime for the town services (the above total estimated at about $13,000.00) the show will NOT take place on the grounds of the schools where they have been for the past five decades.

At that point, The Fund will look for another location to host the event privately and enter into an agreement with a vendor to have the show. There are a number of pitfalls with trying to do this on our own. At the very least and with a limited budget at that point they would likely NOT be on Saturday July 4th.

I wanted to point out these two very important caveats before people started to donate. I wanted them to understand that there is a real risk of the show NOT being on the west side of town and a real risk of it not being held on Saturday July 4th.

As always – I am available for direct contact via Jason@Zandri.net or on my cell phone at 860 614 6069.

Thank you all for your prior support and your consideration for 2015