Annette Star (right) and her sister-in-law Etta-Mae Pratt are once again the two ladies in charge of the fundraising efforts for the Osoyoos Fireworks Committee. With the Canada Day fireworks only a couple of weeks away, Star and Pratt are urging local residents and business owners who want to contribute funds to the Osoyoos fireworks to do so as quickly as possible. (Keith Lacey file photo)
Any local resident or business owner who wants to provide financial assistance to ensure another spectacular Canada Day fireworks display that takes place in Osoyoos is being asked to step up to the plate in the next week or two.
As everyone who lives in this community likely knows, the Canada Day fireworks in Osoyoos remains the second-largest in the entire country only behind the fireworks paid for through taxpayer dollars in Ottawa.
But that means it takes donations by local residents and business owners to generate the tens of thousands of dollars needed to purchase the fireworks, said Annette Star, who along with her sister-in-law Etta-Mae Pratt, are finishing up their third consecutive year as fundraising co-ordinators for the Osoyoos Fireworks Committee.
“We just wanted to get the message out that we’re getting down to the nitty gritty and we really need people who want to donate to the fireworks to get their money in as quickly as possible,” said Star. “I would say we still have close to half of the people and business owners who have promised us they want to donate have yet to get their money in.
“We need them to come through and get us the money because the sooner they get the money in, the more fireworks we can purchase and the more spectacular a show we can put on.”
The local business community has been tremendously supportive of the Osoyoos fireworks through the years, she said.
“But we’ve visited many of them several times and they ensure us they’re going to come up with the money, but they haven’t yet,” she said. “We just wanted to make one final push to emphasize how important it is to finally write that cheque so we can pay for everything.”
This is the 20th anniversary of the Osoyoos fireworks and the committee is hoping to put on an even more spectacular display then has taken place in the past few years, said Star.
“It’s amazing that 20 years has already passed since the first event,” she said. “It’s a special anniversary and we hope to put on a spectacular show, but we obviously need the money to pay for it all.”
Holding the second-largest Canada Day fireworks in all of Canada provides a great source of pride to local residents, as it should, said Star.
“It’s incredible what we do in this small little town to put on the second largest fireworks display in all of Canada every Canada Day,” she said.
Any local resident wishing to donate to the fireworks committee can do so at town hall. Any business owner wishing to make a donation can contact Star at 250-495-6227.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
